Hirsutism is actually a condition that affects women. In this condition, women experience the appearance of unwanted hair around the face and other areas; such hair is usually hard and stiff in appearance. Hirsutism is a very common health issue among American women, and more than 3 million cases are reported per year.
Hirsutism, in most cases, is the result of hormonal imbalance. A woman might experience a condition or problem that causes androgen levels to rise, thus resulting in hirsutism. Hirsutism is a very common issue, and it is essential to know the causes behind it and how to deal with this condition.
Causes Of Hirsutism
There are a number of causes that can result in hirsutism. It is essential to know the right cause behind this condition to deal with it more accurately. Knowing the root cause behind such conditions will also allow you to get an idea of how much control you have over it. Let us go through some of the most dominating causes of hirsutism.
1. Genetics
Hirsutism might also run in families and may have a genetic background. In such cases, there is less you can do about it; however, certain procedures can help in reducing the severity.
2. High Level Of Androgens
Many times high levels of androgens in females are actually the outcome of other conditions, and it is essential to treat that underlying condition in order to get rid of this problem. Most of the time high level of androgen results from:
- PCOS is a very common problem among women, and it is one of the major causes of hormonal imbalance in women. In many cases, this hormonal imbalance may also cause high levels of androgens.
- Cushing’s syndrome is another condition that may result in an increased level of androgens in women. This is actually the outcome of high exposure to the hormone cortisol.
- In some cases, tumors in the ovaries or adrenal glands may also lead to hormonal imbalance, which might possibly result in an increased level of androgens.
3. Medications
There are certain types of medications, such as anabolic steroids, testosterone, and glucocorticoids that can also trigger hirsutism. Your doctor might ask about the medications in your use in order to figure out the cause behind hirsutism.
4. Alcohol Abuse
Many times alcohol abuse interferes with hormonal balance. There is a possibility that alcohol abuse might cause increased androgen levels in females. Over a longer period of time, this eventually disturbs the female sex characteristics and may even result in hirsutism.
It is never too late if you are dealing with alcohol addiction, then you should seek out a recovery program in order to avoid other health issues. If you are curious about the cost of rehab treatment, then you may find help from online guides. These guides provide a complete detail about the cost of different programs and cost-covering methods.
Treatment For Hirsutism
There is much variation when it comes to the treatment of Hirsutism. One may find medical treatment and other procedures and techniques to get rid of unwanted and excessive hair resulting from hirsutism. Let us quickly go through some most prominent treatment options for treating hirsutism.
1. Medical Treatment
Medicinal treatment comprises both oral and topical medicines which help with hirsutism. Since hirsutism results from hormonal imbalance, these medicines are usually aimed to fix hormonal issues which are causing hirsutism. The most commonly used medicines are
Birth Control Pills
Doctors might suggest some patients take birth control pills based on their case. These birth control pills, in addition to preventing pregnancy and regulating the menstrual cycle, also help to lower down increased androgen levels. Thus it also turns out to be an effective medicine for the treatment of hirsutism.
Androgen Suppressing Medications
There is a number of androgen suppressing medications that are also used either alone or in combination with birth control pills. These androgen suppressing drugs might also bring some side effects, so it is better to take these medicines only if your doctor prescribes them. Otherwise, it might cause serious harm.
Topical Creams
Topical creams are also used to treat hirsutism, but these are not as effective as compared to other oral medications. These are directly applied to skin and areas of unwanted hair.
Low Dose Steroid Medications
In case if hirsutism is the result of overactive adrenal glands, then in such cases, low dose steroid medications are used to treat hirsutism. The type of medications is all dependent on the patient’s condition and causing factors.
2. Other Procedures
One may also find numerous temporary and permanent hair removal procedures to get rid of excessive and unwanted hair.
Temporary Hair Removal
Talking about temporary hair removal means are less expensive but needs to be done more frequently, such as waxing, shaving, plucking, and even bleaching hair. Anyone can easily acquire these temporary hair removal services from nearby beauty spas or salons.
Permanent Hair Removal
Permanent hair removal procedures are expensive, and these can only be acquired from licensed practitioners. This hair removal procedure includes electrolysis and laser treatment.
3. Electrolysis
This is a very expensive procedure, and it involves a process in which hair roots and follicles are individually destroyed with the help of a needle and an electrical zap. This procedure is time-consuming, and it is not very effective for larger body areas.
4. Laser Treatment
This is about destroying hair follicles with the help of a beam of light or laser. It might require a few sittings, but it generates long-lasting results. This is an extensively used procedure nowadays when it comes to getting rid of unwanted hair. It is also an expensive procedure.
Take Away
Hirsutism is a very common problem. There are many ways to deal with it. Oral and topical medications are available that help to fix the hormonal imbalance, treating hirsutism. In addition to medications, one may also use different types of temporary or permanent hair removal procedures to get rid of undesired and unwanted hair.