Every woman has tiny, barely visible hairs on her breasts, and it's natural to have a few darker, longer hairs surrounding the nipples. If you're experiencing an excessive growth of dark, coarse hair on your breasts, it may be a side effect of pregnancy or you may have hirsutism, a medical condition characterized by excessive hair growth on the breasts, upper lip, chin and back.
Pregnancy
Pregnancy causes your body to secrete hormones that cause your hair to grow faster and fall out less. Growing hair around the nipples is a common side effect of pregnancy. This extra hair will generally fall off after your pregnancy. Talk to your doctor if you want to remove the hair while pregnant via electrolysis, laser hair removal, waxing or cream because these methods may not be safe. Electrolysis and laser hair removal are not recommended after the second trimester.
Male Hormones
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, about half of women with hirsutism have high levels of male sex hormones called androgens. When women do not have elevated male hormone levels, the cause of hirsutism is unknown. Hirsutism caused by elevated levels of male hormones may also cause other predominately male features such as a deepening voice, frontal balding, an enlarged clitoris, and enlarged shoulder muscles. Acne, irregular menstrual periods and the loss of the feminine shape are also features of hirsutism caused by elevated male hormones.
Contributors
Elevated levels of male hormones can be caused by a number of contributing factors. Medications such as phenytoin, minoxidil, diazoxide, cyclosporine, and hexachlorobenzene may cause hair to grow on the breasts. A severe insulin resistance, tumors on the adrenal glands or ovaries, anabolic steroids or Danazol may cause hirsutism. Medical conditions including Cushing syndrome and polycystic ovarian syndrome also cause hisutism.
Diagnosis
A physical exam including a pelvic exam and a medical history including questions about your menstrual cycle, medications and family history are needed for a diagnosis. Hirsutism is often genetic. A blood test can check your male hormone levels. A CT scan, MRI or pelvic ultrasound can identify any tumors or cysts on your ovaries or adrenal glands.
Treatment
Treatment depends on the cause and severity of the hirsutism. Anti-androgen medications help block the hormones that cause the excessive hair growth on your breasts and other parts of your body. These medications take three to six months to work and may cause birth defects, so you should use a birth control when taking an anti-androgen, warns FamilyDoctor.org. Birth control pills can also reduce the amount of androgen in the body. Losing weight and eating a healthy diet may also help.
Hair Removal
There are a number of temporary hair removal practices, including waxing, plucking and applying hair removal creams. Bleaching makes the hair less noticeable. Electrolysis will permanently remove the hair and laser treatment will remove the hair for a long period of time. Shaving is not recommended for the breasts because the razor can cut the nipples, introduce bacteria into the body and cause an infection.
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