Do you ever discover 1 or more hairs on your chin or upper lip? In women, this may have to do with the hormone balance, but there are also other reasons. In later life, it usually has to do with menopause, because the body then produces less of the female hormone oestrogen.
darker hairs
Even though most women would rather lose facial hair than get rich, it is a normal phenomenon. They occur on the chin, above the lip, along the jaws and between the eyebrows. Usually they are lightly colored and therefore barely visible, but sometimes there are also darker or harder specimens.
Hormonal imbalance
Due to hormonal changes, a stray hair can occasionally appear on the face in women. This happens when the body produces a little more of the male hormone testosterone. Hair growth is regulated by estrogen receptors and these can be upset by the male hormone. As a result, hair growth can suddenly occur in places where this is not normally the case in a woman. This can happen in case of ovulation, during pregnancy or during menopause. And it can be amplified in the event of stress. Usually the hair growth remains within limits and the hairs are easy to remove with tweezers.
Also read: Thinning eyebrows with age: causes and solutions
Hirsutism
If it is not just a few hairs, but several thicker, coarser and darker hairs appear, then there may also be a case of hirsutism. In that case, there is often also a hormonal cause, but there are several possible causes. In the case of a hormonal reason, this again has to do with an excess of male hormones or the hair growth reacts too strongly to normal amounts of testosterone. There are several reasons why the female body produces too many male hormones.
This can be hereditary or a side effect of medicines. Being overweight or using anabolic steroids can also contribute to it. In addition, a disease of, for example, the adrenal glands can stimulate it or it can be the case that the ovaries produce too many male hormones. This occurs, among other things, in the Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). PCOS affects 5 to 10 percent of women worldwide. In that case, there are cysts on the ovary. In addition to excessive hair on the face, there can also be reduced fertility, hair loss on top of the head or irregular menstruation.
When to go to the doctor
In many cases, a few emerging hairs on the face are a harmless phenomenon. If the hair is increasing or if you are concerned, it is best to discuss this with your doctor.
(Source: Libelle, Cosmopolitan, Margriet, InfoNu.nl. Photo: Shutterstock)