You have more body hair than most of the people you know, or at least, you have more body hair than you’d like to have. Find out why you have this characteristic and how you can manage it effectively.

Genetics

The simplest answer is that you were meant to grow a lot of body hair. It’s in your DNA.

Genetics control so much about your hair. It can determine the pigment, thickness and texture of your hair. Scientists have even found that there are genes for unibrows and bushy brows. Take a good look at your family photographs. If you notice that your relatives seem to have the same amount of body hair or more, you can conclude that this physical feature was passed down through generations, much like your eye colour and your height.

Research has shown that your ethnicity heavily influences hair growth. So far, people of Middle Eastern or Hispanic descent have been found to have the most terminal hair in comparison to other groups. It doesn’t mean that everyone with this ethnic background will have a lot of body hair — it only increases the chances of acquiring the genetic trait.

Menopause

A surge of hormones tends to prompt body hair growth. Puberty forces adolescents to sprout vellus hair all over their bodies, concentrating on areas like the underarms and face. There are other hormonal shifts in your life that affect your hair, either making it grow or disappear. Menopause is one of those shifts.

A woman goes through menopause when her body is no longer capable of menstruating. Her ovaries stop producing the hormone estrogen, which causes an excess of testosterone. Typical symptoms are hot flashes, mood swings, sleep troubles and fatigue. Another symptom that many women resent is facial hair growth, particularly on the upper lip and chin.

Pregnancy

Another common hormonal shift that you could be going through? Pregnancy.

Pregnancy causes an incredible hormonal fluctuation in a matter of months, which leads to a lot of dramatic symptoms, including changes with your hair. Some pregnant women experience hair loss or bald patches on their heads. Meanwhile, many find that their body hair gets out of control.

You can get more hair on your arms, neck, chest, back, or your stomach. The hairs are often thicker and darker than usual. Luckily, the body hair tends to fade six months after giving birth when your hormones get back to normal.

Hormonal Imbalance

Other hormonal imbalances can cause excessive body hair. Hirsutism (excessive hair) is a symptom associated with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome). The hormonal disorder causes elevated levels of male hormones, so patients tend to deal with visible facial hair and bald patches, as well as higher rates of body hair.

Women can experience hirsutism when they have Cushing Syndrome, which is a disorder caused by the overproduction of cortisol.

Problems with the adrenal glands or thyroid gland can also lead to more hair growth. All of these conditions come with other serious symptoms, and they need to be addressed by medical professionals as soon as possible. If you think you have one of them, consult a doctor immediately.

Medications

There are plenty of prescription medications that cause body hair growth as an unfortunate side-effect. Any medications derived from androgens (hormones), like steroids, can cause excessive body hair. Anything designed to stop hair loss on the head can backfire when it comes to body hair.

If you notice that your body hair has changed since you started taking a prescription medication, take a look at the list of potential side-effects. You may be shocked to find that it’s the root of your problem. 

What can you do about it?

If the excess body hair is a temporary condition, you might want to stick to hair removal methods like shaving, plucking, threading or waxing. These will give you smooth skin for short periods. Shaving will have the shortest results. You might find that you have a fine layer stubble a day after using your razor.

If the excess body hair isn’t temporary, and you don’t want to make shaving part of your daily routine, you should consider laser hair removal. After a handful of appointments, the area could be completely smooth — and it will stay that way. At Baywood Clinic, the average patient takes 5 to 7 sessions until they’re satisfied with their results.

You can book a consultation with one of our licensed physicians to discuss your hair removal treatments this year and later. You should wait 4 to 6 weeks, and sometimes longer, before scheduling the next laser treatment. It could take almost a year to get the desired outcome.

You should explore the website to learn about the laser hair removal process so that you know what to expect during your own appointment. You can find out everything like what preparations to make ahead of time and what your after-care should be. If you have any questions that you can’t find the answers to, feel free to bring it up during your consultation or send us an email ahead of time.

You’ll find that the website does some hair removal myth busting so that misinformation doesn’t affect your decisions. Laser hair removal isn’t extremely painful. It will be no more painful than getting waxed or plucked. Some have compared the feeling to being hit with an elastic band. Another myth is that laser hair removal doesn’t work on women with darker skin. While the problem used to be true, advances in laser treatment have made it easier to target hair follicles on any skin tone.

If you’re thinking about getting hair permanently removed, make sure that you find out the cause behind its growth. You’ll want to know whether it’s caused by genetics, or if there’s something else at play. Getting rid of your extra leg hair or chin hair might feel crucial but investigating your health should be your number one priority. Check to see if you’re dealing with a hormonal shift, medical disorder or prescription side-effect first. Then, you can decide whether you need to book a consultation or find another type of solution.