Excessive, unwanted facial hair in women has its own medical term. Hirsuitism is used to describe a condition in which women experience male-pattern growth of coarse, dark hair, says the Mayo Clinic. Unwanted facial hair is a symptom of hirsutism, but hair can also be present in other parts of the body as well, such as the chest and back. According to a June 2003 article in the "American Family Physician," hirsutism in women is common, affecting some 8 percent of the female population. High levels of androgen, a male sex hormone, accounts for 50 percent of women with mild hirsutism, but severe hirsutism is almost always due to high androgen levels, says the Mayo Clinic.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, is a common cause of excessive hair growth in women, says the National Institutes of Health. An imbalance of sex hormones not only causes unwanted facial hair and hair on other parts of the body, but menstrual irregularities, acne, obesity, a deep "male" voice and sometimes diabetes. Six percent of women of child-bearing age are affected by polycystic ovary syndrome, according to the AFP.
Cushing's Syndrome
Cushing's syndrome occurs due to exposure of high levels of the hormone cortisol or if a patient uses medications such as prednisone and prednisolone to treat asthma or arthritis, says the NIH. The balance of the sex hormones in a woman's body is affected by the presence of excess cortisol, which in turn results in unwanted hair growth. Cushing's syndrome is uncommon, says the AFP, but should be considered by doctors when making a differential diagnosis.
Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
The Mayo Clinic says that congenital adrenal hyperplasia is an inherited condition that causes the adrenal glands to produce abnormal amounts of steroid hormones, including cortisol and androgen. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia often presents with other symptoms in adolescence or adulthood, says the AFP, such as acne, menstrual irregularities and infertility.
Tumors and Cancer
An androgen-secreting tumor on the ovary or adrenal glands can be the underlying cause of unwanted hair growth in women, says the NIH. The Mayo Clinic states that this is rarely the case, however.
Medication
The AFP lists use of the following medications as a possible cause of unwanted, excessive hair growth in women: anabolic steroids, danazol, metoclopramide, methyldopa, phenothiazines, progestins, reserpine and testosterone.
Idiopathic Hirsutism
Excessive hair growth may not have an underlying medical cause, in which case it is called idiopathic hirsutism. This type of hirsutism is also common, says the AFP, and runs in family lines. Women of a Mediterranean, Middle Eastern or South Asian descent are more likely to develop this kind of hirsutism than those of other ethnicities, says the Mayo Clinic.
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