Unwanted facial hair growth can be upsetting but help is at hand

by The Doc

You can’t walk down the street these days without clapping your eyes on all sorts of facial hair. Chaps have appeared to embrace their inner Santa Claus, and many now sport everything from designer stubble to ZZ Top-style grandfather beards. Women, on the other hand, generally find hair growing around that area quite upsetting. It’s usually nothing to worry about, despite what adverts for beauty salons say, but sometimes a medical condition can make it more obvious. A woman in her twenties came to me last week asking for a bit of advice about hair on her upper lip and chin. She’d previously experienced period problems – they were irregular and even absent – and had some acne, and a bit of weight gain. These symptoms pointed towards something called polycystic ovary syndrome, which we confirmed with a blood test. This is a common condition — around one-in-10 women in the UK are thought to be affected. Women who have the condition are thought to be resistant to insulin, and the raised level of this substance in the bloodstream affects the ovaries. It causes ovaries to make too much testosterone – the “male” hormone that women also produce. Higher levels of insulin and testosterone interfere with ovary function, so that eggs aren’t released properly. This leads to the irregular periods I mentioned. The extra testosterone can cause acne and hair thinning on the scalp – and excess hair growth in traditionally male areas. That means the chest and abdomen, as well as the face. In the longer term there is an increased risk of diabetes and high blood pressure and cholesterol. Many women use waxing or grooming to remove unwanted hair, but there is a cream called eflornithine, and anti-testosterone tablets which may help. There are topical treatments for acne, and period problems can be treated too. Metformin, a diabetes medication, can also help in some cases. One of the key things for women with polycystic ovaries to try, though, is to maintain a healthy weight, which can be more difficult than usual. The extra effort is worthwhile, as weight loss should help the symptoms and reduce any longer-term complications.