Overview
Excessive hair growth is the abnormal growth of hair on some parts of the body, such a face, neck, chest, abdomen and thighs. It is also known as hirsutism. It affects 5-10% of women. Common conditions causing this issue include polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), increased level of androgens, disorders of the ovaries or adrenal glands, hormonal changes related to menopause, and medications such as testosterone and glucocorticoids. The main symptom of this issue is the growth of coarse and dark hair on body parts where the hair is usually fine and thin. Excessive hair growth is a problem that requires ongoing treatment. It is usually managed by treating the known underlying conditions. Weight loss is another crucial step. Other treatment methods are waxing, tweezing, shaving, bleaching, oral contraceptive pills, spironolactone, finasteride, flutamide, metformin, thiazolidinediones, gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists, low-dose steroid, eflornithine hydrochloride cream, electrolysis, and photoepilation treatments.
