Hirsutism – What Is It?
January 6, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
There is a wide range of attitude between different women on the amounts of body hair that are thought of excessive. What one woman is comfortable with another could not entertain living with. Hirsutism causes hair to grow in areas that we don’t necessarily expect a woman to have coarse mature hair such as the upper lip or chin.
Hirsutism – is defined as the excess conversion of vellus or very fine baby hair that has no pigment and therefore we can’t easily see to terminal hair that is more pigmented, mature hair that we can see quite easily. An example of where this naturally occurs in us all is the conversion of underarm or pubic vellus hair of an undeveloped child to the terminal visible hairs of a sexually mature of an adult. Therefore it is not seen before puberty.
As women age they are again subject to an increase in Hirsutism as there is an increased production of androgens at menopause as oestrogen decreases. Terminal hairs can be mainly found in areas of the body that have sites dependant on androgen to testosterone such as the beard area, neck, chest, abdomen and the inner thigh area of the upper Excessive hair growth in non androgen dependent areas is called hypertrichosis.
Androgens such as testosterone are produced by the adrenal gland and the ovaries so it is important to investigate what the cause of the hirsutism may be. Some families do have a constitutional tendency for this to happen but it is best to consult a medical practitioner if severe to seek a diagnosis.
How can I treat the unwanted hair?
Shaving
Shaves is another quick and easy answer that shaves off the hair at skin level. Shaving will not last for long and can sometimes leave stubble that can be both seen and felt. Ingrown hairs can be a problem as can razor rash.
Depilatories
Chemical process – a cream is applied that dissolves the hair after a few minutes. Patch test on the wrist first to check for allergies and irritation. Lasts somewhere between waxing and shaving.
Tweezing
Plucking out the hair is a quick, inexpensive convenient solution for small areas and must be performed almost daily as new hair comes through.
Waxing
Removes the hair by literally pulling it out by the roots. Can be done at home but it is wise to seek a professional waxer – at least until you learn the process. The hair will have to grow to a certain length in order for the wax to grip the hair.
Bleaching
Bleaching can lighten the colour of the hair and thus make it less visible. This is usually done with a hydrogen peroxide solution applied to the area you want to bleach. Can be done at home or in a salon.
Electrolysis
Electric current applied through a pair of tweezers. Quick for small areas and lasts well but can be quite painful.
Epilatories
Rubber roller or coiled spring that catches the hair so it can be pulled out from the roots. Not always an easy task to master.
Laser
Must be performed in a salon with an experienced operator in a series of treatment. Laser is painful for some and expensive but is semi permanent with only the occasional follow up treatment sometimes required.
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Ways to get rid of unwanted hair
December 23, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
There are many ways to get rid of unwanted hair and no one way will suit everyone. Trying the different methods of hair removal will help you find the one that is best for you and best for your skin type. You may even find that you use one method on one area and another method on another – you could, for example wax your bikini line and shave your legs.
Waxing
Waxing is a method of hair removal that involves a thin layer of heated wax being applied to the skin and smoothed down with a piece of cloth so the hair sticks to both the wax and the strip of cloth as it cools down. The cloth is then quickly pulled off the skin and the hair is pulled out by the roots. As the roots are removed as well, this method of hair removal lasts several weeks. Most areas of the body can be waxed including areas of the face.
Shaving
Shaving is a popular method of hair removal as it is quick, cheap and can be done at home. With shaving the hair is cut off at the root at skin level so will only last a few days before the new hairs will reappear and will need to be shaved again for a smooth feel. Shaving is often a quick fix alternative.
Depilatories
A depilatory is a cream or a liquid that you apply to the area you want to remove hair from and it breaks down the protein in the hair, effectively causing them to break off slightly below the skin’s surface. You apply the cream and wait for a few minutes and then rinse the cream off. There are different depilatories for different areas of the skin.
Laser
There are many different types of laser on the market today but all are similar in that they emit a beam of light that passes through the skin to the follicle which is the base from which the hair grows. The melanin in the follicle absorbs the light which transforms into heat and effectively stops the hair follicle from being able to produce hair. Light skin and dark hair is the ideal combination for laser treatment, though newer lasers work well on darker skin.
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