DID YOU KNOW
Hormones are the number one cause of hair growth in both men and women and the hair growth cycle is significantly impacted by age.
There are 2 types of hormones: male or androgenic hormones, including testosterone, and female or estrogen hormones such as progesterone. These hormones play a different role in the body and particularly in the hair cycle.
Female or estrogen hormones participate in hair growth by slowing down growth and prolonging the anagen phase. Inversely, male or androgenic hormones accelerate the hair cycle. Both men and women secrete male and female hormones, but in different quantities. Women produce androgens in quantities 20 times less than men.
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Hair strands begin to change during puberty when large amounts of male and female hormones arrive in the blood. As we continue to age, our hairs do too slowly moving though the full cycles at different rates over time. Learn about the hair growth phases ».
However, unlike men, women experience two additional life events that trigger significant shifts in hormone production, pregnancy and menopause, thus causing new and sometimes unwanted hair growth. These are both considered normal hormonal changes.
There are also what’s considered abnormal hormonal shifts in women that trigger unwanted hair growth. Hirsutism is a condition that results in dark coarse hairs on the body where men typically grow hair like the chest, face and back.
‘Male-patterned’ hair growth arises from an increased presence of androgens, primarily testosterone, in the body and this increase can be triggered by medications, obesity, family history and ancestry. Hirsutism causes psychological and social problems in women, so it is important to diagnose and treat.
HIRSUTISM
Hirsutism can be caused by any of the following conditions:
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) - This most common cause of hirsutism is caused by an imbalance of sex hormones that results in symptoms like: irregular periods, obesity, infertility and sometimes multiple cysts on the ovaries.
Check out our presentation deck » when our owner spoke at the PCOS CON Virtual Conference Sept, 18, 2021.
Cushing's syndrome - This occurs when your body is exposed to high levels of the hormone cortisol. It can develop from your adrenal glands making too much cortisol or from taking medications, such as prednisone, over a long period.
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia - This inherited condition is characterized by abnormal production of steroid hormones, including cortisol and androgen, by your adrenal glands.
Tumors - It’s rare for an androgen-secreting tumor in the ovaries or adrenal glands to cause hirsutism, but it is possible.
Medications - Some medications » can cause hirsutism. These include danazol, which is used to treat women with endometriosis; systemic corticosteroids and fluoxetine (Prozac) for depression.
Hirsutism isn’t generally preventable, but it can be managed with medications, dieting, and with the help of your electrologist.
Related Links
Ferriman-Gallwey Hirsutism Scoring System »
Hirsutism in Women according to AAFP »
MENOPAUSE
Many women have unpleasant symptoms during menopause, including hot flashes, mood swings, and insomnia. These symptoms are a result of a drop in estrogen and progesterone levels but, a decrease in these hormones results in an increased production of androgens, the male hormone.
Androgens shrink hair follicles, resulting in hair loss on the head; inversely, these hormones can also cause more hair to grow on the face. Therefore, some menopausal women develop light, soft facial hair ‘peach fuzz’ and small sprouts of hair on the chin.
Electrolysis is an effective way to manage these sudden bursts of hair growth while going through menopause.
An increase in facial and body hair above the norm for the age, sex and race of an individual is called hypertrichosis. There are many methods available for those who want to get rid of these newly sprouted hairs, but electrolysis is still the only way to removal them permanently.
To manage your menopause symptoms, including thinning hair, eat well, drink lots of water, exercise, reduce stress, and speak to your physician about taking natural supplements.
PREGNANCY
Pregnancy also influences the hair’s growth cycle. People often make the mistake of attributing hair thickening during pregnancy with more and faster hair growth, but actually, higher levels of estrogen is produced in the second or third trimester of pregnancy prolonging the growth, or anagen », phase. When the anagen phase timeline is extended, there is less shedding than usual thus making the hair thicker.
Unfortunately, the body also increases the production of androgens which can lead to a faster growth rate of body and facial hair. Since there aren't any studies that validate the safety of electrolysis on the baby, it’s recommend you avoid electrolysis while pregnant and consider other Frequently Used Hair Removal Methods ». If you do choose to get electrolysis while pregnant, consult your doctor first and stay away from the galvanic and blend modalities.
Women often lose a significant amount of hair after childbirth once estrogen levels return to normal, post-partum hair loss, and the “doping effect” on hair growth comes to an end. This will apply to unwanted facial and body hair as well so hang in there, three to six months after childbirth most of your unwanted hair will shed naturally.
MEDICATIONS
Some drugs can change the hormone levels in your body thus triggering abnormal facial or body hair growth. The following medications can cause hirsutism:
Anabolic steroids - boosts boost muscle mass, performance, endurance & shortens recovery time between workouts
Testosterone - male hormone
Glucocorticoids - fights inflammation
Cyclosporine (Sandimmune®) - treats psoriasis, severe rheumatoid arthritis, and organ rejection after a transplant
Minoxidil (Loniten®, Rogaine®) - treats hair-thinning
Danazol (Danocrine®) - treats endometriosis
Phenytoin (Dilantin®) - treats seizures/convulsions
INTERESTING FACT ABOUT BALDNESS
Male androgen hormones don’t cause male pattern baldness. Baldness is result of a chemical reaction, DHT, which is triggered by the combination of androgens and -alpha reductase, an enzyme found in the scalp.
DHT accelerates the hair growth cycle to such an extent that the hair follicles become saturated and begin producing shorter and shorter hairs until they are worn out. They are then able to produce only a fine layer of “fuzz”, and then nothing at all. These inactive follicles retract into the dermis and the skin becomes smoother.
Therefore women never go bald, except in cases of disease or particular hormone disorders. However, they can experience increased hair loss or a modification in hair texture caused by a drop in female hormone production during menopause ».
Don’t let your hormones keep you hostage…. if you have increased or abnormal hair growth from hormonal changes, electrolysis can help you manage it!
Electrolysis and be done with it!
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sources: Activilong » + MayoClinic » + babycenter » + Women’s Voices for Change » + DermNet NZ » + healthline » + Cleveland Clinic »
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