Unwanted Facial Hair/ Hirsutism

Lately, I have noticed an increase in the number of clients wanting their full face threaded, so I thought this would be a good time to blog about Hirsutism (excessive hair growth) or unwanted facial hair (UFH) in women.  

I am no doctor (ofcourse!) so much of the information below is written based on my own reading around the subject as well as my notes and books from my Homeopathy and Nutrition degrees.

Hirsutism affects approximately 1 in 10 women in the UK and is often embarrassing and distressing to most women; affecting their self esteem and confidence.

Symptoms can vary in their degree of severity, from:

•      A few individual hairs on the chin
•      A light growth on the upper lip
•      Fuzzy hair on the cheeks
•      Development of dark, coarse hair on the body and facial areas (chin, jaw, upperlip, sides of face etc.)

 

Causes:

• Idiopathic hirsutism:
• Genetic.
• Drug-induced hirsutism, e.g. anabolic steroids
• Ovarian causes:
• PCOS
• Menopause
• Some tumours which cause an increased productions of Androgens
• Adrenal causes:
• Adrenal Tumours, CAH, Cushing’s Syndrome
• Other causes include severe insulin resistance, Anorexia Nervosa, Hypothyroidism etc.

Treatments:

Some popular hair removal methods include:

• Plucking/Tweezing
• Waxing
• Shaving
• Threading
• Laser Hair removal
• Electrolysis

How can Threading help?

• It is neat and precise
• It can be used to shape the eyebrow from both the top and bottom
• The same area can be 'gone over' without irritating the skin
• It is kinder to the skin and no heat or chemicals are applied
• The flexibility of the thread allows the removal of hairs facing in different directions and in awkward places on the face
• Regrowth of hair in the threaded areas is finer, smoother and softer
• It is suitable for those with sensitive skin; where waxing is not an option
• It is considered by many to be less painful than other methods of hair removal
• Long term use of waxing can prematurely age and weaken the skin, threading barely touches the skin itself and 'grabs' the hair; pulling it out by the root
• Does not cause ingrown hairs.

Important note!

Facial hair is a very personal and individual issue; whereby hair on the upper-lip can be bothersome for some, may not be bothersome to others; so only You can decide if facial hair is unwanted! 


Useful sites:
http://facialhairremoval.ca/hirsutism/
http://www.hairremovalforum.com/laser-hair-removal-research/hirsutism-causes-treatments/135/
http://www.bupa.co.uk/health-information/directory/h/hirsutism