REMOVING UNWANTED HAIR – AESTHETICS OR A HEALTH ISSUE?

REMOVING UNWANTED HAIR – AESTHETICS OR A HEALTH ISSUE?

any men and women have problems with excess hair growth on their face or other body parts. Besides being uncomfortable, hairiness can be unhealthy as well. Increased hair growth may be physiological and not a manifestation of hormone imbalance. However, if there is a sudden growth that increases over time and has other clinical side effects, then there’s a possibility of the case of hirsutism.

What is hirsutism?

Hirsutism is the excessive growth of hair in women in parts of the body where the hair is under androgen control. Increased hair growth often comes with endocrine diseases. In the core of these disorders, most commonly due to polycystic ovary syndrome, is hyperandrogenism, and it can be discovered in the majority of patients with biochemical analysis of blood and/or urine. Also, increased hair growth may be due to hereditary skin structure, in which the skin cells are more sensitive to hormones in the blood. Often, it comes to genetic predisposition, when a person alleges that members of the family have a similar problem. In these cases, hair growth is constantly of increased level and does not worsen. Certainly, deterioration may happen after 40 years of age, and especially after menopause, even in women who didn’t have problems with hairiness.

Other health issues

Sometimes, the problem of excessive hair growth is combined with severe inflammation of acne, increasing muscle mass or rapid changes of voice, and all described together is an alarming signal. The large increase of hair can be caused by a tumor on the adrenal gland, insulin resistance, a disorder caused by excess cortisol hormone in the blood composition, etc. Also, this problem may occur if you are treated with progestin, cyclosporine, minoxidil, phenytoin, anabolic steroids, methyldopa and the like. In women, hirsutism is usually manifested in upper lip, chin, chest, lower abdomen and the inner side of the thighs. For men, we cannot talk about hirsutism but an enhanced hair growth. Increased hair growth can have a major psychosocial impact on both men and women.

Laser Hair Removal Areas

How to treat hair growth and can it be fully stopped?
It is essential that every patient with increased hirsutism considers the existence of a hormonal imbalance and that, in collaboration with a gynecologist and endocrinologist, determines the necessity of hormone therapy. Removing the hair combined with hormonal therapy if needed, can be achieved most effectively by laser epilation which has by far the best results compared to waxing, shaving, using tweezers, etc. The necessary conditions for the laser treatment are that a person has black hair and fair skin, as well as comply with the instructions of a dermatologist before starting treatment. On the market, there is a large number of IPL appliances (Intense Pulse Light) for hair removal, which have a much weaker effect than lasers and an increased risk of burns. Of course, a prerequisite for the success of the intervention is a trained dermatologist who performs the intervention efficiently and above all good cooperation between patients and doctors.

Laser hair removal

Although there’s no official research, in the long run, it is likely that the laser hair removal is the most profitable. It offers permanent reduction of excess body hair, while other temporary treatments require fixed costs over time. In addition, laser hair removal requires fewer treatments compared to electrolysis which is the only other method that offers permanent hair removal. The price of laser hair removal depends on the location and size of the area being treated and is determined after a doctor’s appointment.

It is important to remember that one doesn’t have to have serious health problems in order to be troubled by excessive facial and body hair. Increased hair can have a negative influence on human’s psyche and overall picture of oneself. Therefore, permanent hair removal is a perfect solution for anyone who struggles with this problem, being it physical, psychological or both.