Hair Removal

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When is facial hair removal necessary?

This is something that only you can decide. Some women who experience hirsutism will not consider it necessary to undergo a particular treatment in order to reduce or eliminate their excess facial hair, while others will find the experience very distressing. The degree of your hirsutism will likely have an effect on which treatment method you choose; for example less severe cases will likely require only a mild hair removal method such as shaving, waxing or bleaching.

What is hirsutism?

Hirsutism is diagnosed when a person, usually a woman, experiences excessive hair growth that is noticeably darker, thicker and coarser than terminal hair. Terminal hair is the name given to the fine hairs that grow on the skin. Hirsutism can occur on the face, lower back, chest and buttocks, though in women it most commonly occurs on the face. Excessive female facial hair, known as facial hirsutism, often occurs alongside acne or seborrhoea.

What causes excessive female facial hair growth?

It is believed that hirsutism occurs when too many androgens (male sex hormones) are present in the body, or if an individual is particularly sensitive to androgens. Many cases of excessive female facial hair growth are due to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). In these cases, hirsutism will likely occur alongside other symptoms such as irregular periods and acne.

Hirsutism can also occur as a symptom of some medical conditions, including acromegaly, or as a side effect brought on by certain medications, such as those to treat epilepsy and endometriosis. Most women will experience idiopathic hirsutism, which is when there is no medical explanation for the development of the condition.

Hair removal treatments for facial hirsutism

The hair removal treatment option you choose will likely depend on the severity of your hirsutism and how much of an effect it has on you personally.

Self-administered solutions

These hair removal methods include shaving, bleaching, plucking, waxing and threading. Depilation is also a method that can be undertaken individually. These methods may be suitable for milder cases, but they are only effective in the short-term. It may be necessary to shave every day, for example. Methods such as shaving, bleaching and depilation may irritate your skin, while plucking, threading and waxing can be uncomfortable.

Long-term and permanent hair removal solutions

Laser treatment and electrolysis are two methods which provide more of a long-term solution to hair removal. Electrolysis can be permanent, but it can also be painful, as it involves passing an electrical current through a needle and into a hair follicle in order to damage it. This can be an extremely effective method, but it can also be dangerous if it is not performed by a trained and registered professional. Laser treatment involves the use of laser lights to achieve the same outcome as electrolysis, which is to damage the hair follicles. As with electrolysis, laser treatment is a potentially dangerous treatment, and so it is important that you make sure that your practitioner is fully qualified. Both of these options are usually fairly expensive.

Medical and prescription treatments

In the first instance, your doctor will likely prescribe an anti-androgen such as the contraceptive pill to you if you are suffering from hirsutism and have not yet started menopause. Anti-androgens are able to block the activity of androgens, such as those that cause excessive female facial hair. These medications can be effective, but they often take as many as six months to work and the effects will likely return if you stop taking them.