Although you might welcome fast-growing hair on your head, excessive growth of your body hair--also known as hirsutism--can be a nuisance. While home treatments, like shaving or waxing, can often keep the growth under control, it is important to see your doctor so that he can evaluate and treat any medical conditions that might contribute to your rapid pattern of body hair growth.
Significance
Increased levels of male hormones, known as androgens, can fuel rapid hair growth. These hormones often surge during pregnancy, leading many pregnant women to experience faster growing body hair. The Medical Advisory Board of Babycenter.com, a pregnancy advice site, suggests that this common pregnancy side effect usually stops shortly after a woman gives birth. Some medical conditions, such as Cushing's syndrome, polycystic ovarian syndrome or tumors in the ovaries or adrenal glands can also cause increased body hair growth, as can medications, including testosterone, danazol--a medication used to treat endometriosis--and anabolic steroids.
Identification
In a non-pregnant woman, a sudden increase in face or body hair accompanied by irregular periods or voice changes, can indicate a hormonal imbalance that warrants a trip to the doctor for advice and treatment. To determine the cause of excessive hair growth, your doctor will probably take your full medical history, conduct a physical exam and administer some blood tests. The blood tests can measure your hormone levels to pinpoint any imbalances. If your blood work shows imbalances, the Mayo Clinic says that your doctor might conduct imaging tests using ultrasound or a computerized tomography scan to screen your ovaries or adrenal glands for tumors or other irregularities.
Considerations
While elevated androgen levels usually cause severe cases of hirsutism, many women develop mild hirsutism with no identifiable cause. These women usually have normal androgen levels and regular menstrual periods. Certain ethnic groups, including women of Middle Eastern, South Asian and Mediterranean descent, might be more prone to developing mild hirsutism than those from other backgrounds. The American Academy of Family Physicians also notes that mild hirsutism appears to run in families.
Medical Treatments
While medications can help control hirsutism, the condition can be a long-term problem, according to Medline Plus, a health information service provided by the National Library of Medicine. Your doctor might treat your hirsutism by prescribing oral contraceptives, which slow hair growth by inhibiting your ovary's production of androgens or anti-androgen medications that lower your body's production of androgens. The Mayo Clinic cautions that it can take up to a month after beginning the medications for you to experience changes to your hair growth patterns.
Hair Removal Options
If you tire of waxing, shaving or plucking, you can pursue more permanent hair-removal options. Electrolysis removes hair permanently by using an electric current conducted through a small needle inserted into the hair follicle to damage and destroy it. Laser hair removal uses a light laser to damage the hair follicle, which can slow or stop hair re-growth. Both methods can be expensive and time-consuming.
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