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Conditions

Hirsutism

Excessive hair

In ancient Greece, the young brides of Argos would fix false beards to their chins on their wedding night, so as to be in no way inferior to the men with whom they shared a bed. However, when the fun and games of the consummation were over, these Argive women knew they could remove the beard and embrace femininity again. But for modern women suffering from hirsutism – when females grow too much body or facial hair in a pattern seen normally occurring only in men – facial hair can be embarrassing and a cause of great distress. Furthermore, removing such facial and bodily hair requires treatment, such as physically removing the hairs; taking a course of anti-androgen drugs; or having courses of electrolysis or laser treatment. Excessive hairiness in women can be caused by abnormally high androgen levels (male hormones), which is sometimes due to an underlying medical condition, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

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Comments

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first of all thankgod other peoples got it too. i have alot of hair on my stomach, bottom and pubic area. My pubic area is quite bad as it comes almost up to my hips, blends in with the inside of my leg and travels to my anus and to be honest its quite depressing, i feel so unfeminine when i have to remove it. i would go for permanant waxing if there was such a thing or waxing anyway, but im only 16 and would be so ashamed of myself.

I am 14 and have had excess body hair for a while now and its on my stomach, bottom, thighs, arms and on my top lip! its not as noticeable as some cases but I am very self conscious of it and i think about it all the time! I have made an appointment to see my GP about it, is there anything else i can do? It really puts me down so pleasehelp! x

Hiii im 19 have the same problem really dark hair on my stomach, back, arms and upper lip. i also have long dark hairs on my breasts. i use hair removal cream on my stomach and uppper lip. I have learnt to accept that it is the way am I am and im not ashamed by the hair on my stomach or arms.

I am 23 years old and I have excessive body hair, my upper lip, my chin, cheeks, bum, lower back and i have to shave my under arms everyday, i have been diagnosed with Polycistic ovaries and the doctor said i would just have to live with it.. this is really gettin me down, when ppl are talkin to me all i can see is that they are starin at my chin etc… please help.. my mum told me to shave, but i dont want to, i dont wanna kiss a guy and have more stubble than him!!!! can anyone help!!!!

I really want to have some laser treatment to get rid of unwanted hairs but I have no idea where to start looking. I don't want to go to any old place as I don't know if they are respected or not. Please help!

im 15 and im really hairy!
i shaved my arms because they were so bad ….but dont they've just got worse i regret it.
i have like sideburns,hairy back,hands toes…iv got hairs from my stomach up my boobs are hairy there little ones but iv got dark hair…i get called wolf woman. is there any advice of products?
it would be life changing for me.
x

im 17 and since i was young i have had to much body hair i have it on my stomach goin all the way down, my bottom, my thighs, my back, my chin, my upper lip, my neck and nipples i was diagnosed with polycistric ovaries and my doctor gave me a contreceptive pill to reduce hair but it don't work i really need someone to tell me what i can do…?, lazer treatment is far to expensive.

I'm 16,, i have hair on my stomach, back, bum, boob, nipples, toes & upper lip..
it gets me down alot & i've cried about it ALOT,,
i know its not normal & it always makes me wonna cry when i see girls in bikinis,,
but it helps knowing that im not the only person (:
i've bin 2 my GP about it,, & she just told me"everyones like it"
which made me wonna cry cuz it took me alot of courage to go to the doctors n then she dint even listen to me…
one day i hope i'll get lazer hair removal or somthing.. just so i can feel beter about myself (:

Hi, im 19 and im glad to know that other people have this problem as sometimes i feel like the only one! i have hair on my upper lip,stomach bum and toes and it realy gets me down sometimes cause i always hve to worry bout shaving before i go out. Is there a better solution to geting rid of it, cuse waxing doesnt work very well either!! help!!

hi im emma. im 12 and i have hair on my back,breasts,stomach and bum. the hair is quite fair but still noticible. the hair on my back and stomach bothers me most. it's embarassing for me to wear a bikini. please help. i dont want to take any medication is there any way to fix this problem without using it?




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Videos

  1. Excess facial hair

    Consultation: Excess Facial Hair

    Dr Dawn Harper looks at a patient whose excess facial hair is taking over her life

  2. Dr Dawn Harper

    Dr Dawn Harper

    Find out more about Dr Dawn Harper

  3. Hyperpigmentation

    Consultation: Hyperpigmentation

    A patient with hyperpigmentation is assessed by Dr McKenna

  4. Excess hair in-between breasts may be because of unwanted facial hair

    Quick Health Advice - Unwanted Facial Hair

    Dr Harper explains the causes of unwanted facial hair and some of the treatments available.

  5. Am I Normal - Hair

    Am I Normal Hair

    Dr Dawn Harper discusses what is and isn't normal when it comes to body hair. Includes discussions with the cast of Hollyoaks.


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