Facebook Pinterest Twitter Youtube Instagram. I remember when I first noticed it. I was going through my skin-care routine, when one stray but surprisingly long chin hair caught my attention.
That's new, I thought to myself. I plucked it and have continued to do so since, but over the years, I've realized that I'm not the only one with a rogue, unwanted chin hair that appears from time to time and by that I mean every two weeks on the dot.
Related Stories. Experts Referenced. Suzie Welsh, RN. Nurse and Founder, Binto. Loading More Posts Featured Collection. In females, hair growth, including facial hair is impacted by distinct hormonal phases.
Starting with puberty, during pregnancy, and through menopause, shifts in hormone levels change hair growth. Most females have vellus hair on the face, but some may have more terminal chin hair. This can be due to genetics or age. Menopause can trigger more chin, neck, or facial hair. Research shows different racial groups can have different levels of androgen and resulting body and facial hair. Hair follicles are unique for everyone and how they respond to testosterone can differ.
The rate of hair growth from follicles also varies. This can result in a few random long hairs in unexpected locations like the neck. For most people these random hairs are normal. Excess hair on the body or face in females is known as hirsutism. The difference between normal facial hair and hirsutism is the color, density, and texture of the hair. Hair is coarser, thicker and darker.
This can be due to virilization , or excess production of androgens. Sudden changes in facial hair patterns might mean your body is sending a sign something has changed. It can signal a hormonal imbalance caused by a medical condition or a side effect of medications. Make an appointment to discuss these changes with your doctor. Keep in mind, these are some general signs of hormonal imbalance. Your doctor may do blood tests, ask about your symptoms, and do other diagnostic tests to find out the reason for your symptoms and how to correct them.
In the case of hirsutism, management might mean treating the underlying medical condition, including:. How much facial hair you have depends on your genetics and age. As we age, hair follicles respond in unique ways to changes in testosterone levels leading to hair growth.
This is especially true with hormonal shifts during certain times, such as puberty, pregnancy, and menopause. Often it's due to pregnancy, irregular periods and sometimes even the Pill. It's a cruel, cruel world. The real mystery though is this: Why in the heck do they grow back so quickly? I swear to god, I tweeze my face free of all hairs before I go to sleep at night, only to wake and discover that, like an insidious weed, they have all reappeared.
So what can you do about them then? Even though most of just tweezer the suckers out, there are a lot of other often more extreme but more permanent options available. These are the most common and probably easiest methods if you only have a few odd, stray hairs growing.
The obvious downside is that it's only temporary and, due to the hideous fact these things grow back so damn fast, you can be caught unawares. Waxing can irritate the skin, particularly on your face, and although there are creams available, your facial area can be particularly sensitive, so be careful and test it on a patch of your skin first.
So this might feel wrong for you as a woman and even though we wouldn't necessarily recommend it better to stop these things at the root , it is an available, albeit temporary, fix.
It can be great though, for peach fuzz as you can barely see it when it grows back. Aside from HRT, you can ask your doctor for something to tackle the hormonal changes in your body.
A topical cream can slow the growth of facial hair, but it can take four to eight weeks to see results. Be sure to see a doctor and get a professional opinion, as this method may not be right for you. By far the most effective treatment, laser damages the hair follicle to slow down hair growth. Dark hairs are most easily targeted. This can be performed in beauty salons and involves inserting a needle into the hair follicle and passing an electric current through it to destroy the hair.
Sounds fun, huh? It will be fairly uncomfortable and time-consuming but will work well on all types of hairs. Beauty is, indeed, pain. Also to remember is this: friends do not let friends get around town sprouting a tiny forest on their chin without alerting them to that fact. Do the sisterly thing and point that whisker out. Particularly the part where Tina Fey talks about going home to 'bleach her beard'.
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