Is this Hirsutism? (Photo)

Question

I just noticed how hairy my side cheeks were when a coworker of mine pointed it out. That was the first time anyone has said anything so i'm starting to think all this came recently. I waxed a strip and it came off perfectly but I'm wondering if this is even normal and if it could be hirsutism? Should I finish waxing it? Would shaving be a bad idea? I have some symptoms that could point to PCOS but my gyno didn't run tests because my periods are normal. I am on spironolactone and birth control.

Elisa A. Burgess, MD · Answer

For my practice, I can't say that I am an expert on facial hair because it is really complicated. Some facial hair on patients of different ethnicities is normal but others have it due to hormonal issues, sometimes polycystic ovary disease and other disease processes. These should be investigated by a PCP or another type of expert. By definition, hirsutism is stiff and dark body hair, appearing on the body where women don't commonly have hair. For most women this can be especially troublesome on the face. We have treatments in our office for dark hair which include Prowave IPL and YAG laser for hair reduction. However sometimes it can come back because it is more of a hormonal issue so it may require some maintenance but much better than daily shaving at home! If a patient has light colored hair then the laser treatments don't work and we do dermaplaning. This is a butter blade treatment to remove fine, vellus, light colored hair and it will also exfoliate. Make sure to see an office with experience.

Susan Fox, DO, RPVI · Answer

Hello, this isn't necessarily hirsutism but if it's bothering you you should consider laser hair removal.  You will need a series of treatments but will start to see improvement after one.

Laura A. Katz, MD · Answer

Traditionally, the definition of hirsutism incudes dark, coarse body hair.  If you are noticing sudden increase in hair growth or change in acne or male-dominant characteristics, you should be evaluated by a gynecologist for pco or even possibly an ovarian cyst or tumor.  anything changes that come on suddenly within months warrant more thorough investigation.  Classic pcos(polycystic ovarian syndrome) tends to develop gradually.  The hirsutism that is caused by pcos cannot be treated with just hair removal alone.  It is best to treat the underlying hormone imbalance first before doing any hair removal.  Laser hair removal can be very effective once the hormonal imbalance is treated.  It has long been stated that waxing or shaving can further stimulate more hair growth instead of lessen it, but data is not clear on this.

Is this Hirsutism? (Photo)

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Is this Hirsutism? (Photo)

Answers (3)

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Everything you need to know about Laser Hair Removal

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.