What is hirsutism?

Hirsutism (say "HER-suh-tiz-um") is extra hair on a woman's face or body. This hair is dark and coarse. It grows in a male pattern: on the face, like a man's facial hair, or on the body, especially the chest and back.

Symptoms of hirsutism include extra hair that grows on a woman's face, like it does on a man's face. Or it grows on the body, especially the chest and back. The hair is dark and coarse.

Your doctor may want to do blood tests or other tests to find out if a medical problem is causing your extra hair growth (hirsutism). If the cause is not a medical problem, treating it is often a matter of choice. That's because hirsutism usually isn't a sign of a health problem. Treatments include:

Birth control pills.

This is the most common treatment. Birth control pills contain hormones, so they help balance your body's hormone level.

Antiandrogens.

These are prescription medicines that lower the amount of male sex hormones in your body.

Topical cream.

Your doctor may prescribe a cream that you rub into affected areas to slow hair growth.

Electrolysis.

This method uses a very thin probe in the hair follicle. An electric current through the probe destroys the ability of that follicle to grow hair.

Laser hair removal.

This is a medical procedure that uses light treatments to heat and destroy hair follicles.

Women who have PCOS and who are overweight may be able to reduce unwanted hair growth by reaching a healthy weight.

Some women prefer to use various home treatments for unwanted hair. These include shaving, waxing, and other methods to remove the hair.