Overview
Facial hirsutism is the excessive growth of hair on the face. It affects 5-10% of women of childbearing age. Common conditions causing excessive hair growth on the face include polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), increased level of androgens, disorders of the ovaries or adrenal glands, hormonal changes related to menopause, and medications such as testosterone and glucocorticoids. The main symptom of this issue is the growth of coarse and dark hair on the face where the hair is usually fine and thin. Excessive hair growth on the face can be an embarrassing problem that requires ongoing treatment. It is usually managed by treating the known underlying conditions. Weight loss is a crucial step. Lowering a small amount of weight can help decrease androgen levels and manage the symptoms. Other treatment methods are waxing, tweezing, shaving, bleaching, oral contraceptive pills, spironolactone, finasteride, gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists, low-dose steroid, electrolysis, and photoepilation treatments.
