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Hormonal imbalance and facial hair

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NITRONANA

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Hormonal imbalance and facial hair
Posted: 03-10-08 12:45pm

There must be a hormonal imbalance right???
Has anyone ever had this problem and had it solved as
to why???
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jessamyn

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Posted: 03-10-08 12:53pm

What have you attempted to use in order to treat it?
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missanonymous

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Posted: 03-12-08 18:04pm

Oh jeez, Ive got some embarassing facial hair too... It's on the side of my chin, and I hate it. I used to pluck it and it would stay away for a while, but now I shave it, and it comes back quicker. I just don't have time anymore to pluck it.

What's weird is, I swear to God I remember my BROTHERS having this! This might sound weird but I swear they did...

I don't know about any treatments for it. I just shave it and don't think about it...Think I'll start plucking it again...
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HairBeGone

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Posted: 03-22-08 01:32am

There are many reasons women have facial hair. Hormone imbalances are one reason, but there are many reasons for hormone imbalances. Other reasons for female facial hair are genetics, medications, and stress.

If you suspect a hormone imbalance, see a reproductive endocrinologist.

Clipping and shaving are the best temporary methods to remove the hair. For permanent removal, electrolysis is the best option for facial hair.
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Tylanas

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Posted: 03-30-08 10:43am

My mother did some sessions of electrolysis. It hurt badly, and the hair has all grown back.

Secondly, my mother does not have a hormonal imbalance. She's just got German blood. Some cultures just have hairy faces!! Think about women from India. They often have very dark facial hair as well, especially above the lip. Italian women face this issue as well.
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HairBeGone

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Posted: 03-30-08 19:16pm

I agree. That's why I included genetics as a cause. No need for the "!!"

Most likely, the hair that was treated with electrolysis did not grow back. Once those hair follicles are destroyed, they can not produce another hair. It's more likely that inactive follicles were stimulated and grew additional hair.
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Tylanas

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Posted: 03-30-08 19:27pm

I didn't mean the !! in an angry way; that's actually how I talk. In an excited manner.

How exactly were the inactive follicles stimulated? I doubt the same lazer that was killing their neighbors stimulated them into growing. In fact, that doesn't make any sense at all, as she now has more hair than she had before the sessions. If anything, the old follicles came back to life AND new ones were stimulated!
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singlemamma

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Posted: 03-30-08 19:35pm

I use those little battery operated personal trimers. I have facial hair if it is one or two it gets plucked (like on my chin). My upper lip is horrible though and I use that trimer sometimes I get it waxed. I am part Sicillian so it is genetics for me, well that combined with getting older as you get older it is normal to get some extra hair sometimes.
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HairBeGone

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Posted: 04-01-08 00:23am

Laser and electrolysis are not the same thing.

If she had proper electrolysis treatments and followed the treatment schedule the electrologist recommended, those follicles that were destroyed did not come back to life, they can't, it's impossible.

If she had laser treatments, there is a possibility of stimulating hair growth on women's faces. Laser hair removal is still considered a fairly new field, and scientist are just now beginning to study what is known as "Paradoxical hypertrichosis after laser epilation." The reason for this phenomena is still unknown. It has only presented on women's faces and men's upper arms and shoulders. In most cases, the patient's hair was not coarse. Laser hair removal requires very dark, coarse hairs to be successful.

We are born with an average of 1000 follicles per square inch of skin. A man with a full beard has fewer than 100 active follicles per sq. inch. That's more than 900 inactive follicles in a square in of skin. A woman who has what professionals classified as a "full beard" has about 60 active follicles. That leaves many unused follicles to come to life at any time. Any woman who has that much hair on her face has a hormone imbalance.

There are many reasons your mother could be producing new hair. Germans aren't actually known to be hairy. Although they used to be known for not shaving. In Europe, those genetically inclined to have hair are in the Mediterranean countries, such as singlemamma above who is part Sicilian. But it is possible that she has more than German in her heritage.

Menopause creates hormone imbalances and unwanted hair growth for most women. Many medications cause hair growth. Frequent surges of adrenaline (a hormone), such as during periods of stress, can cause hair growth. PCOS, insulin resistance, diabetes, and many other conditions have unwanted hair growth as a symptom.

If you mother saw an electrologist, and the electrologist didn't recommend that she see an endocrinologist, then it is probably a normal, yet annoying, amount of hair.

Laser hair removal technicians are not required to have any training in the biology of hair and it's causes, so if she saw a laser tech rather than an electrologist, she may want to get an electrologist's opinion to find out if the amount and pattern of growth is normal or indicative of a potential health problem.
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Tylanas

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Posted: 04-01-08 07:29am

I believe she had laser, not electrolysis. I did not know there were two treatments.

She has had this hair growth since she was 20, so it's not a potential health problem and it's not caused by menopause. Her maiden name is Myers and her family is, to my knowledge, pretty pure German. She really only has this issue because she started shaving these areas, and I don't care what anyone says: it does make hair thicker and darker.

I have proof of this: I shaved the hair off around my nipples. It was very light colored hair, but I felt like doing it. Nowadays, the hairs are dark, thick and wirey. I was well past puberty when I first shaved.
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HairBeGone

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Posted: 04-01-08 13:48pm

Shaving absolutely does not make hair thicker nor darker. This has been scientifically proven several times over the last 100 years after women began shaving their legs in the early 1900's. The first study was done by Dr. Mildred Trotter in 1927. The only thing shaving does is make hair shorter. If you truly think about it logically, you'd understand that there is nothing a razor does to the hair that a pair of scissors doesn't do. It simply cuts the hair. Hair grows with a natural taper. When you remove that finer tapered tip, be it with scissors or a razor, you are left with an illusion that the hair is thicker and darker. It's not. Just the finer tip (which appears lighter) has been removed.

Normal breast hairs do not develop until several years post puberty. It is very common for women to have a few scattered on their breast. Only when the hairs are between the breast is it a definite indication of a hormone imbalance. You shaved those hairs for a reason. They were becoming noticeable to you. The same reason your mother began shaving her face. Those breast hairs would have become darker, thicker, and wiry had you never shaved. I see this every day, women who never ever shaved and they still have coarse, dark hairs on their breast.

There are plenty of studies on unwanted hair removal and the temporary and permanent methods of removal.

I apologize to NITRONANA for going so far out left field with from her original question.
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MyLove4U

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Posted: 04-02-08 14:55pm

hmm i don't know about on the chin or anything but my upper lip hair grows a lot sometimes and you can really see it. O.O i hate it. the other day i found a recipe for sugar wax. it's made at home with sugar, water, and lemon juice. you cook it and let it cool and use it cold. it works pretty good for waxing my face (but only if you make it right >.< ) it's quick and easy for me i guess.
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