Video
Dr Pixie:
There were lots of queries and questions and comments about body hair—excessive body hair, in fact, what we call hirsutism. A lot of you asked, ‘well, how much body hair is normal, and does everybody get it?’ The answer is yes, and it varies hugely. Some of you wondered, ‘well, why do people have excessive body hair?’ The reasons can be hormonal, they can be racial, they can be due to illnesses or medications…there are numerous reasons.
There’ve been some questions about polycystic ovaries and its link with excess hair growth. Polycystic ovaries is one of the causes of excessive hair in females, and if you feel you have symptoms of irregular periods, acne or you’ve gained weight, it’s worth seeing your doctor to discuss the possibility of polycystic ovaries.
You’ve also asked lots of questions about shaving: what’s going to happen if you shave your body hair? Will it grow back faster, will it grow back thicker, will it grow back darker? The answer is, no, it won’t. It simply looks coarser because of the way the hair is actually cut.
I think laser has come up an awful lot on the site, you’ve been curious about: ‘Is it painful? Does it scar? Can I get it on the NHS?’ Laser itself is slightly painful during the procedure, but afterwards you shouldn’t have any pain. Does it scar—in some skin types, very very rarely you will produce a scar after laser treatment. And as regards its availability on the NHS, by and large laser treatment is available through private clinics only. But it’s always worth talking to your GP if you’re concerned about excessive hair growth that you believe is due to a hormonal imbalance.
Doctor Responses: Excessive Hair
Dr Pixie answers your most frequently asked questions about excessive hair (hirsutism) such as: How much body hair is normal? What are the treatment options? Does laser treatment hurt or scar?
With thanks to the Baker Street Medical Centre
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am 16 years old lad and i have a hairy chest i feel embarressed when at school i take off my top at the gym as i am the only lad with hair on my chest is this normal
i have a small patch of light coloured hair on my chin..its really annoying but im afraid to wax or shave incase it comes back black or thicker..i have thicker side burns than normal but i usually pull them out as they are long enough to pull with my fingers..im slightly overweight about a size 14/16 and 5.2 in height..very dark haired and worried about this excessive hair growth..
Hi i'm 19 years old and i have excessive hair over my face, mainly on the sideburns, chin and part of my neck and i have been noticing the hair on my cheeks also. I also have the hair on my stomach, basically the symptoms of PCOS. I have been checked out for the PCOS and they came back saying there is nothing wrong with me, also with the overweight and irregular periods but since loosing weight the periods have become more regular but the hair is still there. I'm naturally blonde so having the laser on these areas isn't really successful and i'm really self conscious so it makes matters worse and trying to get all this checked out is hopeless. I'm wondering if there is anything else i could do to get rid of the excessive hair without going on a contraceptive pill. Please help i'm running out of options
hi i am 2o yrs old female n i have hair all over my body.. but the hair on my chin, cheek, stumack, lower back and buttocks and also on my breasts r very thick. i am very worried because i tried to wax the hair off my chest and breasts but i got a very bad rash. i dont have irregular periods or any other problems. i also wanted to know, can ipl, laser treatment be used on the breasts or around nipples? will there be any side effects later on such as breast cancer or anything as serious as that? i also read that some people are given the pill depending on how bad the problem is.. will that effect fertility?
Hi doctor....... i am a 19 years old college girl.........i causes excessive hair growth in my full body. like my back, stomach, chestface and neck expecially my arms and legs are also very hairy. i take diode laser treatment for my face.. i finished 16 sittings. but it is not worthy for me..... my breast is very hairy.... i get deppresed about my body hair.... what can i do? how to ride my body hair permenanly? espeacially how to ride my fase hair permenantly?
please help me! am 16 and female and i have hair between my boobs just above and around my belly button. am self consious and this adds to it. i cant wear most clothes and i dance and this means i cant wear vest tops cause u c an see the hair.l is there any treatments i can get to get rid of it? please help
im 14 years old male and i got hair on my cheek near my eye area and its really annoying because im scared of shaving it, what can i do?
im a 20 year old male and i have excessive hair growth, all my front and back and neck i really dont no an effective way to get rid of it im pretty sure its hormonal as iv been bad from a young age dont no weather to go the doctors and see if i can get treatment on the NHS or not as i am quite a bad cae of excessive hair and even tho im 20 it still seems to be getting worse! Also what is the most affeciant and cost effective way of reducing or getting rid of hair permenantly?
im a 25 year old female and have extremely coarse, dark leg hair on both the bottom and tops of my legs! it can be quite painful when growing back in, and really need to shave every day but cant due to the spots that appear after shaving! iv tried waxing but therapists have said the folicols are too strong and waxing never seems to remove all the hairs so i end up having to shave! please help, this is really gettin me down :(
hi i am a 36 year old woman and i have very thick coarse black hairs around my nipples, anus and also around my belly button, i have to shave every 2 days otherwise it looks rather like a mans 5 o,clock shadow, it is very embarassing, especially as i had a boyfriend who once told me it scratched his skin and he thought it was grose, please help me out. is there anything i can use on the market that will keep this unsightly hair away for longer.( i end up with ingrown hairs or a rash if i get waxed) please help..