Dark facial hair in men is considered a normal trait. Dark facial hair in women, however, is a condition called hirsutism. Hirsutism can run in the family, or it can come from an excessive amount of male hormones streaming through a woman's body, according to the Mayo Clinic and MedlinePlus. Both also note that several causes lead to excessive male hormones in women.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
One of the most common causes behind hirsutism is polycystic ovary syndrome. The condition is marked by cysts in the ovaries that knock the sex hormones out of balance. In addition to dark facial hair, women with polyscystic ovary syndrome often suffer from acne, irregular or missed periods, obesity, deepening of the voice and even infertility or diabetes.
Cushing's Syndrome
Cushing's syndrome is a condition caused by excessive cortisol, a hormone produced when your body responds to stress. Increased levels of cortisol also knock the sex hormones out of balance and can lead to dark facial hair. Too much cortisol can come from adrenal glands that are too productive or from long-term use of medications that are similar to cortisol in their makeup.
Other Conditions
Two more medical conditions can cause hirsutism, these are tumors and congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Tumors in the adrenal glands or ovaries are usually to blame, with the tumors secreting the male hormones that lead to the hirsutism.
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia is inherited and marked, as in some cases of Cushing's syndrome, by over-productive adrenal glands pumping too many steroid hormones into the body.
Drugs
The side effects of some medications can also lead to hirsutism. These include testosterone, anabolic steroids and danazol. The latter treats chronic breast cysts, the reproductive disorder endometriosis and hereditary angiodema, which causes various areas of the body to swell up. Other drugs that can cause dark facial hair include one used for eye problems called cyclosporine, and glucocorticoids, which treat a variety of conditions.
Unknown Causes
Although rare, there is sometimes no apparent cause behind hirsutism. A woman's body may be functioning normally in all other aspects, but have normal male hormone levels.
Doctors call this phenomenon idiopathic hirsutism, with idiopathic being a fancy term for "no identifiable cause." Idiopathic hirsutism often runs in families of certain ethnic origins, especially those of Mediterranean and East Indian descent, notes Skin Care Guide.
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