This is the next chapter in The Beauty Brains‘ Cosmetic Diseases and Disorder Series, which is intended to help our community understand conditions that can make it impossible for some people to enjoy the same beauty experiences that most of us take for granted. This chapter covers Hirsutism, which is what happens when hair starts growing in places it`s not supposed to.
What is Hirsutism
Hirsutism is the medical term for excess body or facial hair in women. If you`ve ever seen pictures of the legendary Bearded Ladies from the turn of the century circuses, then you have a good idea of what Hirsutism looks like. This condition occurs when hormones run amok, causing women to experience male hair growth patterns and it`s estimated that Hirsutism affects between 5% to 10% of all women.
FYI, be careful not to confuse Hirsutism with Hypertrichosis. Hypertrichosis is a condition that causes excessive hair growth on normal parts of your body. For example, it`s normal for a man to have chest hair. But if a man`s chest looks like a bear skin rug, then he might be producing TOO much hair “ this is hypertrichosis. On the other hand, if a woman has hair in places she`s not supposed to, like on her chest (or in the case of the bearded lady mentioned above, on her face) then she has Hirsutism.
What Causes Hirsutism
It`s all about the balance of Androgens, a type of male hormone, in the female body. Specifically, Hirsutism can be caused by either an increase in production of testosterone and androstenedione, or an increased sensitivity of the skin to these hormones. In some cases, it may be a symptom of a more serious condition such as adrenal hyperplasia or ovarian tumors, particularly. If your hair growth patterns have changed dramatically, it couldn’t hurt to consult with your physician.
What Are The Symptoms of Hirsutism
Luckily, the symptoms are limited to the hair growth examples describe above. By itself, hirsutism is embarrassing but harmless.
What Does Hirsutism Look Like
Click the links below for examples of Hairs Gone Wild.
How To Treat Hirsutism
There are several effective ways to treat this condition. If hair growth is light, you may be able to just bleach the hair to make it less noticeable. (Hydrogen peroxide is commonly used for bleaching.) For more serious growth you can get rid of it by mechanical and chemical hair removal. (Depilatories and shaving are the most common methods.) You can also use temporary epilation which involves removing the hair at the root level. (Plucking, tweezing, and waxing are popular methods.) Finally, you can use permanent epilicaton method like electrolysis, thermolysis, or laser removal.
Loading ...
{ 1 trackback }
{ 83 comments… read them below or add one }
hi, ive been reading most of these posts and i couldnt stop myself from crying. I have suffered from SEVERE hirsutism since i was 9. I have excesssive body hair (chest, abdomen, bum, crotch, lower back), the worst is on my face & neck. I wish i could rest my hand on my face when im very tired but the hair is so coarse i feel disgusted, and when i do that i breakdown and cry. I have cried practically my whole childhood and now adultlife as i am currently 19 ys old. I cry before i go to sleep because everybody is asleep and i never wake up happy. this crying usually begins during the duration of the school yr, so like 10 months; reason being is that its difficult to face the world when u have a disgusting face.. I cant make any friends becaue i am too depressed, i go to college but i am not doing very well because i only focus on the hair on my face & body. Ive tried laser, but it got worser, i never had hair on my neck- after 7 treatments my face actually got worse and i got hair in places where i never did. I dont attend parties, all i do is hang out at home and day dream about having smooth hairless skin. The hair on my face is very dense & coarse, i belive that i am the worst case scenario because i have scoped out nearly every medical site that depicts examples of female patients suffering from this, so far i believe i am the worst. I went to a doctor once & she was a female, i cried when i told her about my problem but all she told me was that ‘i have a self-esteem problem’ and thats as far as we got. After that visit to the doc, i have never visited any other about my problem because its embarrassing and i dont want the doctors to be appalled at my condition and be taken as an example as the worst case.
Please if anybody has any advice on whether there is any cure, pill, product that reduces hair permanently rather than laser/electrolysis, plz help. Thank you.
[email protected]
After reading this post, I feel not as lonely. I know other women are hurting from this same problem as I am, but I’m still ashamed to talk about it. I didn’t realize how bad it was til highschool. It first started with my upper lip, and then that entire area under my chin and above my neck…. At first I was a tad bit lucky because it came out blonde, but then they mutated into thick, black, prickly demons. It really hit me that I needed to take some action when my nephew told me I needed to shave… I felt so embarrassed. Then 5th graders I was tutoring would say something about it… It was horrible. Absolutely horrible, because you know when children are bluntly telling you, then everyone else sees it but just aren’t as blunt. I used creams and wax, both worked, but had side-effects (bumps, rash, acne, swollen areas). I remember the first time I waxed all the hair, and in that instant i felt like all my prayers were answered. And of course, for all you women out there who deal with this same problem, the problem was not solved.
Now I’m almost 20 yrs old and the hair has become a problem on the sides of my face, upper lip, chin, below my chin, on my chest, breast, stomach, and the lower part of my back.
I shave my arms, and I have a magnified mirror and tweezers with a LED light, from AVON, that I use to pluck my chin, upper lip, and under chin. But for the rest of my problem areas i bought the new product “Smooth Away” and it works great for my face, under my chin, lower back, and my chest. It takes less than a minute to remove the hair. I dont think it actually removes all of the hair, but it makes it way less visible (and very smooth). Read the instructions on how to use it, some women don’t use it right and it doesn’t work. Rub 3 ways clockwise, then 3 counter-clockwise.
I honestly dont know what my problem is. I went to my Gyno Dyno and he told me I more than likely have PMDD, because of my cramps and irregularity. But hairiness isn’t a symptom of PMDD, but my blood tests came out normal… So, I’m not sure if I have PCOS. All i know is I’m really really really hairy.
I have a great man in my life. He tells me I’m the most beautiful person he’s ever seen. Of course, that may be a little far-fetched and love has a way of making you see through rose colored glasses, but he really feels this way about me. This problem has put a damper on things, considering I wont let him touch my face. Sometime when he caresses my body, he’ll run his fingers along my lower back and my chest (sometimes it feels like he’s playing with the hairs. ewww..), and i’ll feel really uncomfortable, but he’s never freaked out or even mentioned the hair once. So, i’ve calmed down with being to harsh on myself, but I still know it’s a problem.
Hello,
I have excess hair on the stomach and around my nipples. i’ve never knew that there are so many ladies who suffer of this disease, pretty sad thought:(
a couple of days ago my doc recommended me a laser for hair removal, it’s called : Laser Yag Cutera. has anyone heared abt it?? is it worth trying it??
thank you ladies for your time, and have hope
how can any woman understand what it is like to have a beard? i cry reading all these stories..i understand.
ive had hirsutism since age 10..and it has gotten progressively worse every year for 18 years.
i am a naturally outgoing, intelligent and adventerous woman. but the worse my hair growth is, the more i hide from society. i have started to hate daylight, swimming, even socializing with friends hurts.
i am a nurse and have to work with people everyday. i love my job…but how am i supposed to be a ‘wonderful nurse’..if i cant even look someone in the eye for fear that they notice razor burn under my chin and on my cheeks??
i am blessed with two beautiful children…and a loving husband. but my condition got even worse with my last pregnancy….now my daughter is 3months…and i cant make love to my husband. no matter how much support he gives…i just dont feel like a real woman.
to make things worse i suffer from all over acne…some of it cystic…caused by ingrown hairs.
i would trade and be 200 pounds overweight with beautiful skin….rather than who i am now.
it is slowly destroying me.
I have been reading these comments for the past hour and I can not believe what I am reading, I would have gave anything to find a woman with body Hair
First thing I found out looking into this, woman from around 1920 back did not shave at all, it was the norm! Did they all have A DISEASE???? (( NO )) and it’s not a medical condition that happens! It’s you becoming a woman!!
A razor company that started woman shaving and the guy that made up the ad got a big promotion and now they are starting to get men to shave all over I know you have seen this. I could not wait to be a man I don’t want to go back to a boy.
I looked for a hirsutism woman for over 15 years with no luck and I have a lets just say non hirsutism wife and she has not shaved in the last 9 years for me.
Don’t give up just keep looking there are men who like hirsutism woman.
When I see a woman without hair all I can think of is she needs a dipper and put her down for a nap!!!
[email protected]
If you would like to talk to me.
Thank you, Scott, for being a real man! I inherited my father’s hairy arms and after my first child, a hairy chin, too! I should have left those fine, delicate, light, but long hairs alone, because as soon as I plucked them out they came back with a vengeance. The people in my life who love me don’t say anything to me about my facial hair. My man got me to quit shaving which has been quite liberating! Celebrate you hair! If you quit shaving at least your armpits your face will feel more at home! There is no need to be smooth and shiny and all waxed up. Hairless is for 5 year olds. Hell, even my 9 year old daughter is getting her hair in already. Let’s be as nature intended, hairy mammals! Viva La Hair! Away with the wax, the razors, the idea that a hairless crotch is to be desired on men or women! Enough with that stuff already! Hair feels good and looks good! I will keep plucking my face though. I’m not that liberated yet. But the pits and legs? Hell no, I won’t shave ‘em!
I thought that reading other women’s stories would help me feel less alone. I sympathize deeply for everyone that deals with this disease. I suffer from this, too, and it’s severe and painful. After reading all the comments, I remembered how much I hate myself because of this. I haven’t felt like a real woman in years – if ever- and each week, month, year it just gets worse and more painful. It’s hard to look in the mirror. Every day of my life, it’s hard to look in the mirror. If I had the chance to be a real woman for just one day, hairless and normal, then I’d sell my soul to the devil and die happy. Just one day…. I just want to feel like a woman, just once….
I made the mistake of confiding in someone about the pain and sorrow I felt about it, only to find out later on that this ‘friend’ made a horrid online avatar, named HairyGirl, and pretended to be me, ruining me emotionally. I can’t trust anyone. I’ve sat here at my computer for nearly 3 hours now, reading these comments over and over, wondering if I dare put my own comments here. Even though I can be somewhat anonymous here, it’s still a risk, and the last time I risked trusting someone, it ruined me. I lost my job because of my insecurities, and I have been unemployed for over 2 years now. I don’t dare leave my house anymore. The way people look at me, but obviously try to hide the fact that they’re staring at me and disgusted at what they see…. I just can’t leave my house anymore. If I do, I try to wear a scarf to cover my neck and chin, if I can. Even during the hot summer months, I have a winter scarf with me to cover myself a bit. The heavy makeup doesn’t cover it. The skin problems, the red and irritated blotches on my cheeks, chin and neck… the dark hair covering me…. It’s miserable. I have no friends anymore and I’m completely, utterly anti-social. I had already hated myself, but this ‘friend’ proved to me that I’ll always be seen as a freak, for the rest of my life. Since only a small percentage of women suffer from this, that puts us in the “different and therefore unaccepted” category. I know I’m not the only one that suffers from this, but that fact doesn’t provide any comfort for me. I wish it did; I hate feeling like this. It just gets worse and worse every day.
I’ve dealt with depression for many many years because of this. It has ruined me psychologically, and I doubt I can ever fully be “fixed”. I’ve had to put all my effort into avoiding suicidal thoughts… yet again… but it’s not working anymore. This disease ruins women. It has ruined me. I wish I knew what it felt like to feel feminine. I wish I could feel like a real woman. Real women don’t grow hair like a man. I grow hair thicker and darker than every man I’ve ever known. Ever! If I didn’t hate who I am, maybe I’d have some motivation and some reason to take care of myself and do good things with my life. As it is, my diabetes is uncontrolled. I’m just not interested in life anymore. I’m just sitting here, waiting to die. That’s all. That’s all I’ve felt for years and years… just waiting to die, and maybe sometimes hoping that it happens sooner, rather than later. It’s ruined me.
To the real woman above,
I’m barely a legal adult and due to genes, I’ve been suffering with hirsutism all my life (even as an infant) just like yourself. You have to understand that even though you know there are (quite a few) others like us and don’t feel any different after reading all these comments, it shouldn’t stop you from breathing. Trust me, I know the feeling of loathing yourself and hating even looking at any mirror in my way every second wasted in front of it. You have no idea how much I wish the world was just blind and just felt the soothing feeling of what’s meant to be natural.
We just have to put up with this world at the moment and only hope for whatever chance we can get to eliminate our self-consciousness for however long we’re able to. I have always worn long sleeves and long pants and everything to prevent anyone from seeing anything else no matter how sweltering hot it is. As for your so-called “friend”, bad judgment was made but that should not have stopped you from trusting anyone else. I cannot tell you how to find a true friend to confide in or have another sympathize/empathize with you in real life, but I can tell you that for all that I can say: they do exist. No friend would sell out another and if they do, they weren’t real friends in the first place; they had nothing better to do than be pitiful within their own life to stoop so low that they had to pretend being another, just goes to show how much they love their own life… (if they had such a decent one at all)
.
Listen, it’s no doubt that you have the right to feel the way you do, and so do all of us, but it’s just not right to lose such faith in not just yourself, but in the world; I mean at least you’re not appendage-less, in a wheelchair, have 3rd degree burns all over, a mongoloid, or have goiters, you’re a human being with basic imperfections (it’s not even an imperfection, it’s just overly natural). Yes, the world can be extremely detestable for the most part but I think sometimes most of us make it seem more so than it truly is. I have always wished that I could sleep away my life in the comfort of my bed where the world would never affect me or even have leukemia in order for me to be as hairless as anything…but I’ve found that life isn’t about living the way you wish, it’s about overcoming everything else in order to see how much you’ve lived so far – it’s being human, and it’s life. Life is never fair to anyone even though it seems that way for the celebrities we see or the fortunate (looking) people we encounter, but how happier can they be? Scandals and ruined reputations? On a national level? That’s worse than a local rumor. And even then, people will forget about it eventually.
We may be in extreme bouts of depression, but luckily we’re not animals being slaughtered, scalded in boiling water, prodded with electric rods, being skinned alive without dying (yet), have our legs and arms and heads smashed in without any way to fight back like they reveal in PETA videos; I’m sorry for getting so graphic and metaphorical but I’m just trying to prove a point to show that as a person, you are worth every breath you breathe. And sometimes I find that if I never had hirsutism in the first place, I would never be as humble, modest, kind, and as wise as I am today… Anyways, as for trying to reduce the condition, have you considered trying any type of removal method? There are the basic cheap economical ways but I’ve found 2 items known to be much better in preventing it: http://mysmoothlegs.com/ and http://nisim.com/Kalo/c4/p28/Kalo/pages.html
Hi ladies,
I was in tears reading your posts because I too am in the same miserable situation. It’s the toughest thing to go through being a woman becuase it is not normal. People stare at your face in amusement, in disgust. It makes us feel (simply put) crap. i sometimes feel like a freak, put on show for others to look at and laugh and yes it is obvious when suddenly people eyes scan the hair on my face.
I’m 22 years old. I was diagnosed with PCOS last year, although I’ve had hirsutism for as long as i can remember. As a child, I clearly remember wearing long sleeve tops and sweaters in SUMMER just to hide the hair on my arms, because the boys teased me about it. As a teenager I started getting visible hair on my face and the girls asked questions and were kind (sarcasm here) enough to point out my sideburns. I did manage to have a boyfriend then but i felt so insecure around him and never felt confident enough to face him. We eventually broke up and that just proved to me that unless I am beautiful, no guy is going to love me.
I used to love swimming and havent done so in 6 years because I have so much hair on my body – removing it all would take hours! I dont have time. Like many of you, I cant wear skirts, tops that have wider necklines, or leave the house without makeup, because I get singled out in public and looked upon like an inferior, filthy, freak.
Its so humiliating, but despite this, I know that I am beautiful. I have had people tell me that I am. The only thing is, no guy is brave enough to want to go out with me. I realised a while ago that a guy at work found me attractive but cant force himself to ask me out because of my facial hair. That just shattered my confidence and hopes for ever finding a guy who can love and respect me. i’ve been single for 5 years..and think I’ll be single for much much longer.
My doctor has prescribed some medications to reduce the hair, I’m praying that they will work. I recently graduated and dont want people in the work force staring down at me. So I’m also thinking of getting some sort of laser treatment done soon.
Ladies, my message to you is that we ARE beautiful, sadly our beauty is tarnished by the hair. Just remmeber that – it’s what gets me through each day (and believe me, each day is a struggle).
God bless you all and hope that we find all find happiness and love
hi all,
I too think, it is good to share some of feelings with you all. As I can’t tell any one here about my problem. I feel so down when i see my face in the mirror. Why only I should have facial hairs, while all other my friends have smooth face. It is so irritating. :-/
I am 21 year old south Asian university student. I am almost successful in hiding facial hair for last 4 years. Now I have had enough of picking hair from face every day. It has started to grow dense. My dad is so worried about me.
I had few proposals from my college mates. But I refused all. I feel I am not suitable for love and marriage. I can hide my hair now, but when it comes to bf it is not good hiding from him. I know I am beautiful, and good but for these hairs makes me feel guilty to approach boys, even some times I feel awkward with girls too.
In natural I am a outdoor lover, like to go trips and all. Now a days I avoid it all. I just love to stay at home, so that I can plug my hair every day. I hate it.
Now I am in a bit of trouble. I have been proposed by my friend. All at my home too want me to marry him. But I feel as I don’t like to marry. He is so good, I think I will be a disappointment for him. I could not find proper reason to break this relationship. I am still good at hiding my facial hairs. It is sOOOOOOOOOOO bad.
It is good at least I can share some of my feelings here.
It is not nice to have hirsutism.
I am searching Very hairy woman for a life-long friend.
I am in my 40′s WM/WPH
And I am for real and I will Email Back
I will look at you like a beautiful flower the more hair the more beautiful and you will see the glow in my eyes.
Away with the wax, the razors, if you are wearing long sleeve high cut tops and sweaters long pants in SUMMER
just to hide the hair on your arms, chest, legs, hiding facial Hair sideburns Hate Shaving then quit it should be quite liberating!
Celebrate you hair! There is no need to be smooth and shiny and all waxed up. Hairless is for 5 year olds. Not Woman!
One thing I found out looking into this, woman from around 1920 back did not shave at all, it was the norm!
Did they all have A DISEASE???? (( NO )) and it’s not a medical condition that happens! It’s you becoming a woman!!
And I would like to be your Friend maybe more
If you are a seriously looking for a great guy to hang with please message me
I am searching Very hairy woman for a life-long friend.
I am in my 40′s WM/WPH
And I am for real and I will Email Back
I will look at you like a beautiful flower the more hair the more beautiful and you will see the glow in my eyes.
Away with the wax, the razors, if you are wearing long sleeve high cut tops and sweaters long pants in SUMMER
just to hide the hair on your arms, chest, legs, hiding facial Hair sideburns Hate Shaving then quit it should be quite liberating!
Celebrate you hair! There is no need to be smooth and shiny and all waxed up. Hairless is for 5 year olds. Not Woman!
One thing I found out looking into this, woman from around 1920 back did not shave at all, it was the norm!
Did they all have A DISEASE???? (( NO )) and it’s not a medical condition that happens! It’s you becoming a woman!!
And I would like to be your Friend maybe more
If you are a seriously looking for a great guy to hang with please message me [email protected]
Try electrolysis if you can spare the money. It takes a while, but it is permanent. I’ve done it for my chin, lip, and chest hair and can highly recommend it. Just get a referral to a professional electrologist from the american electrology association. If you have a lot of hair, see if you can find someone very experienced in multi-needle electrolysis in your area. If you find it too painful, ask about pure galvanic electrolysis. http://www.electrology.com/find.html
Hello. I’ve had pcos for a long time now,. and I’ve managed to look beyond the obvious negative effects (extra hair, specially on my face,. dark spots over my body,. like armpits and groin,..). The hair i shave everyday, and its been like 4 years now..
The thing is, that now I’m in a long distance relationship,. and I’ve been with him for a year,. so we don’t see each other too often,. and things are starting to evolve,. and I haven’t had sex with him,.. and now I am ready,. and I want to,. but I don’t know how to deal with the whole: I have dark spots between my legs thing. Should I tell him, or just avoid it or I don’t know, I was thinking maybe he doesn’t have to see it…I mean, if I avoid him going down on me,. it’s doable.
About the hair,. everytime we’re together I’m always making sure I don’t; have hairs,. and if I do I remove them before he touches me…it’s quite awful and kind of stressfull,. but maybe I need to just live with it.
I need some advice.
Several years ago, a gyn prescribed me the pill and spirnolactone. The pill caused a bad case of melasma and left me with a darkened face. Even though I stopped it, I still have it even though it’s lightened up.
As for hirsutism, the same gyn said that i had a touch of pcos that was causing the excess hair growth. He also said that I “hide” it very well. What works for me is depilatory cream. I use Veet (sensitive) for my arms, and Nair (for face) on my face. I use them once a week. I have to pluck my eyebrows every week and I shave my legs every day. It gets to me at times and I have to allow atleast 45 minutes every week to do my face and arms (usually in the bathroom at the same time).
I hope that you all find peace and try not to let it rule your life!!!!
dear hairy women
i am anintelligent and goodlooking man. I love extremely hairy women, possibily vary hirsute on the enter body. Wat for you a terribly situation are and wat people or man prouve abouth your hairy body are absolutely not important. You have to know there exist a man there would give her life for know and love such a hirsute women. I hope God help me for search such a women.
Andy
Hi, I am 14 years old and im suffering from hirsutism.I’ve been suffering from this ever since i was about 6 or 7.I hate it, I have hair all over my body,my arms,legs,back,face,ect.I use to think I was the only one suffering from this condition,but now I see that’s there’s other girls like me going trough the same thing.It breaks my heart reading about this,cause I know how you feel
Its not easy living with this,everyday i wake up and wonder how my life would of been if i wasnt so hairy.Im not very popular in my school,and people make fun of me,call me hurtful names.After reading this comments I dont feel so alone now,but im so young,and its not fair..I’ve never had a boyfriend and i now its not gona get eny easy when i get older.I dont think eny guy would want a hairy girl 
Im not normal,and im over weight,even though my mom and dad are so skiny.;( Im becoming self conscience,and deppresed,.I dont think im beautiful,but i feel less alone knowing there are others like me 
nonono dont eccept it ! get rid of it! hi let me tell u i had_the same prob HAD. i was sooo hairy but i got rid of it by changing my diet! stop eating sugars all simple carbs as in no white flour,cos it turns into sugar .sugar increases testosterone. and if ur testosterone increases so will serverity of unwanted hair. also use mint oil and mint tea cos it washes out testosterone. aslo u need omega 3s take cod liver oil . if ur overweight loose weight. u also need caprylic acid with ur food also put coconut oil in ur diet. u can repair ur body n it will heal itself but we have to go back to our boilogical way of eating. u can email me [email protected] ps . also when u had this prob u need iodine ! but in the natural form eat seaweed u can get it at most stores in the asian section i eat it like chips . cos u need the zince/minerals and iodine in the seawwed / seaweed is the richest source of these things but u need to take a enzyme with it so u dont get gas . any1 with this prob can contact me . xoxox
Ella,
Did your doctor say there’s no medical reason for your hair growth? When I hear that someone has extra hair all over their body and is struggling with weight, too, it makes me think it’s important to check it out with a doctor. Ask your mom if maybe you could see a gynecologist (I know, one more thing to add to your problems…seeing a gynecologist–yay!). Even if there’s no medical problem, when you get older, you can have the hair permanently removed if you want to. It costs money, but it can be done. Don’t give up hope! Life will get better as you get older, not worse. Being a teenager is hard. Hang in there. And lots of women, young and old, do have unwanted hair in all different amounts and all different body parts. I have it. I had a really, really hairy chin (I’m pretty hairy all over), but now that I’m a grown up and earning my own living, I had the option of having it permanently removed with electrolysis, and I did.
Sarah
I ran across this site again and knew that this time I needed to post. I am a man and the girl I have dated for the past year and a half has hirsutism. I guess I just wanted to say that I think that she is gorgeous, talented, brilliant and that a bit of extra hair doesn’t ruin that! I remember noticing the male hair growth pattern earlier in the relationship though and, don’t hate me for this, I was a little surprised. The topic had never come up in our conversations, mostly because I assume like many of the young woman who have posted here she was afraid of what I might say or do.
But I really liked this girl, and after that evening I went home to do some research so I could better understand the situation and learn how to approach it. I found this site back then, and to read all the comments and to see all the research that had already gone into the subject was beneficial to me.
It doesn’t really bother me to be honest, and in some ways it kinda turns me on, not gonna lie, ha ha! I will say though that being educated about the condition helped me get there, understanding what it was and WHY it was really was all I needed. I love this girl immensely, I love who she is; her talents, her thoughts, her spirit, her conviction, so why should a little hair draw me away from all of that? Ha Ha, well it didn’t and it can’t: We are getting married later this year!
I guess I felt the need to say that I am so proud of her and her strength, brilliance and beauty! I am sorry that many of you who have posted have come across some real jerks and inconsiderate knuckleheads, who force their false, vain and degrading “perfect woman” views on those around them. I would like to believe and submit for your consideration that there are many men who are very willing to listen you, who will try and understand you and will continue to love you as you live your life with Hirsutism. Just be patient with us, talk with us, and inform us . . we love you and we want to help and support you, so please try and let us in.
I am grateful for this site and the helpful information it gave me and for all the comments posted. Thanks to these things, I have learned to love my beautiful girl all the more!
Thank you
I have had hirsutism since I was a teenager. I always wondered why I had more arm hair than any other girl that I’ve seen and also couldn’t figure out why I had hair in odd places, like on my chest and lower back. I’ve been on oral contraceptives for 10+ years due to problems with heavy, painful periods, but the hair just gets slightly worse over the years. Maybe the OC does help in that I’d have even more hair if it weren’t for taking the pills. I’m going to make an appointment with a doctor soon to find out the cause.
For years I thought I was the only woman who still had to deal with this… I’ve felt like a circus freak since I was 16 and had to start shaving. It’s embarrassing mostly because no one I know understands.
I’m a Christian and there is a verse in my Bible where Paul the Apostle says this…
“Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
There are times that I’ve felt like a giant mistake, but my faith teaches me that God does not make mistakes, and that I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Thank you for the information and the support!
hi everyone,
i can’t believe this. I have been hairy as long as I can remember.
I have alot of hair on my lower back and on my neck, plus my ENTIRE BODY is covered in little black hairs… except for my chest and face. I shave my stomach and back every time I shower, wax my arms, pluck my eyebrows and mustache. I was made fun of growing up, i never knew how anyone would ever love me. I swear I thought i was a half man, have never felt like a women. Last year i noticed goosebumps on my face and when i looked I had hair all over my neck and jaw, like a beard. I hate it. I waxed it and then i just felt it growing back. now all i do is cry because i thought it was over but its coming back again and i have no idea when it’s going to stop. I do have to say i was on the pill for several years and it wasnt until I stopped i noticed hair growth, so i am on the pill again.
Also it is hard for doctors to care, i had to switch dr.s because mine didn’t even look at my hair he said it was just genetics. It’s because I hide it so well and I have this obsession where i feel like no one will love me or even accept me unless im beautiful and perfect.
and then i read all your stories and i cry even more because having hair doesn’t bother me, it’s people rejecting me for having hair that hurts.
i feel so ugly and i had laser treatment it did not work. I am getting bloodwork done tomorrow but my new doctor says its prob not PCOS its just my genes. I just wish i didn’t feel so ugly. i carry a mirror and tweezers with me all the time and hide from sunlight and being close to people. o wow i have never talked about this to anyone ever. i cant stop thinking about my hair and dreaming about being hairless and starign and peoples faces to check for hair… what a messed up world. ITS ONLY HAIR!!!
hi, i’m 16 years old. in 7th grade a boy told me “eww you’re growing a beard” that day, i went home and shaved my entire face with one of those little shavers. worst mistake of my life. when me and my sister were younger our dad would always make fun of us because we were hairy. my sister is 4 years older than me and once she hit about 14 she grew out of the hair, now she has fine thin ones. as for me, when i was younger i hated hair, so any hair i had i would shave off. which is why i think i am so hairy now. i think if i would have left it alone i would not have this problem. but unfortunately i do. the hair on my body does not bother me as much as the hair on my face. i cry myself to sleep a lot of days because of the hair on my face. it makes me feel so disgusting. and manly. every guy thats ever stopped talking to me i blame on my facial hair. although i think i do a good job on covering it up. i’ve done everything, pluck, shave, bleach, wax, laser. nothing has worked. right now i use smooth aways that work good for a day, but the next morning i have to use them again. i am also using the no no hair removal, that has actually been working, it makes the hair grow back not as fast and thinner. they both work better than anything i have tried, but it is kind of time consuming (takes about 20 mins in the morning for both) because of my facial hair i have thoughts of suicide A LOT. i don’t think i will ever be able to get married because what cute guy is going to want to marry some hairy chick? i hate talking to people face to face, especially in the sun because i feel like they can see everything on my face perfectly and it sucks. i also hate how my chin and neck area is all stubly its disgusting! and i wish i didnt have this terrible problem to deal with, my life would be so much easier. and i would have so much more self confidence if i didnt have this problem
I have Hirsutism too and i am 19. I had it since i was 14 and ppl used to make fun the fact that i have a mustache. i have hair everywhere even on my shoulders but fine hair. i dont feel comfortable showing off my arms, shoulders… I did use laser treatment but didnt work at all and it made me more hairy since i had to shave hair on face. Now i have started elecrolysis and thank God my mum is a beautician and she does it free for me. I am really worried and i sometimes cry, though my parents think i overreact. when my hair grow i dont look at anyone when they talk to me and that has knocked down my confidence. I suppose i just have to carry on with electrolysis for a year till hopefully the bloody hair will go away. i have dates but i dont continue dating with the guys cuz i am scared they will find out i am hairy. I dont know if im ever going to have a bf, though evewryone says im really pretty and stuff. I will just stay away frm guys till my facial hair goes away. i have to wax my back, exteremy thick hair on my private area and im always in pain :s “sigh” i suppose i have to deal with. At least i am healthy and i can move so that makes me feel better about myself. So girls dont worry im in the same situation and i would say save up ur money n go for electrolysis cuz
do any of you know if electrolysis works better than laser hair removal? from your personal experience? i have tried 7 sessions of laser hair removal on my face and butt. it did not work. it made me actually hairier i think. i used to not have hair on my neck, and just about 3 months ago i started growing long thick hairs that i now bleach.(i believe this happened because of the laser hair removal, the girl did it on my neck where i did not need it, so i think it activated the hair growth or something :’/ ) its disgusting, i hate it. i hate hair. what is the point to make us suffer this terrible disease !?
Im 23 and I have really bad hair growth all over my body. What really gets me down is that the doctors do not know the reason. All my hormone tests have come back normal. I am the only woman in my family to have this problem.
I have had laser on my face and body and it has reduced it a bit. I am now taking yasmin (oral-contraceptive) and spironolactone (anti-androgen), which will hopefully block the hormones getting their messages to the hair follicles.
I have had this since puberty and seems that I shall be stuck with it always. It does really upset me and makes me feel rubbish about myself, but would you believe I know of 2 men that love me even though I have this.
What I will say is:
Shaving does not make your hair grow faster or thicker (it just gives it a sharp end). Hairs grow because of male hormones, testosterone and DHT. Sometimes women make more than they should becuase of illness called PCOS and CAH. Or sometimes hair follicles are just over sensitive to normal amounts of testosterone (which I think is happening to me).
Medical treatments can help slow growth, make colour lighter and thinner. They block the hormones, but will need to get from a doctor. Once this has been done, removal treatments will have better results.
http://www.hirsutism.com
There is a herb called ‘saw palmetto’ which could possibly help.
People you have my full sympathy, I cry about this so much because it is so horrible and I feel so unfeminine.
But it is the person on the inside that is important, that is the true beauty of someone!
All these stories made me tear up. I am 19yrs old and I haven’t had a boyfriend or my first kiss and I believe my hirsutism is to blame. I feel like I have to push guys away or can’t get close to them because I can’t bare the idea of what they’ll think/say when they see how hairy I am. I am always jealous of my other girl friends and sister and I envy their hairlessness. This never fails to cross my mind everyday. I have put on weight since I started high school and now that I am in college I feel like even if I lose the weight its not like I can show off my body or anything because my hirsutism is a curse. I have tried laser hair removal but my hair is so thick that the pain is unbearable and it ended up growing back with the exception of a few patchy parts where it “worked”.
I havent told any of my friends about this although my family knows about it. I just dont think they know how bad this is affecting my everyday life. I just want to look normal even if it was just for one day. Its hard to be optimistic when you cant identify with anyone with this embarrassing condition.
Hi guys, it is so nice to know there are many woman with this problem, because you don’t see hirsuite woman in TV. I used to hate my body but comparing with some girls here I think I have fewer hair than you. But everyday I keep on checking my side of face if I need to pluck it out. My nipples are having bit of black hair, some three hairs between breast and quite few on my tummy. My tights are also hairy. But I decided I don’t shave any more my legs, and I am fed up of the fuckng gillete and smooth skin industry. I actually believe it is kind of discrimination for hirsuite woman. And sadly many man gets brainwash by hairless boobs. Like my neighbours. My man is quite ok with my body although he likes shaved bettter. But to you hirsuite girls I advice to try find man who literally loves hirsuite woman or the ones who knows beauty of body is not everything. There are quite a few and during the time you hide at home or go to sleep try to imagine that you have that kind of guy. If extremly fat girls can find boyfriend, why not you? The bearded ladies from last century were married
And I think the guy who can’t handle hirsuite woman is not man enough. This all is deception by fucking beauty success. Hirsuite woman has right for normal loving life. But first you have to start to love yourself and accept yourself and accept that you have as any other girl. I am sure for everyone there is partner but you have to accept that as well. Good luck to all of you xxx bless you all 
Girls, I’m 40 yrs old and have been dealing with hirsutism since I was 10 so that’s 30 yrs. They didn’t know what PCOS was back then. Medical advancements have increased 10 fold in the last 30 yrs and they will continue! Don’t give up hope. I have read every single post here, and I have felt the very same things, each and every day of my life since this started, but I came to a point where I stopped caring what people though and started living my life.
As for being social, look people in the eye when you talk to them…it forces them to look you in the eye when you converse. Smile at them and show them WHO YOU ARE. We are brilliant women…smart, kind, compassionate women and they need to see that and we need to show them. We ward off people and hide behind this “thing” we have to deal with, to keep from getting hurt or embarrassed…but in all actuality, we are hurting ourselves! People treat us the way WE TEACH THEM to treat us. The next person you meet…look them in the eye, smile and be genuinely interested in them and what they are saying…and they will respond. You avoid their eyes and cover yourself up, they will think your strange, because your acting strange.
For a very long time, I shut myself in my apartment, didn’t socialize and didn’t do anything to take care of my “problem” because I just figured it wasn’t worth it. People weren’t worth the trouble. But they are Ladies. Over the years I have developed a routine in taking care of this…and it works for me. So before you write humanity off for good, try this stuff for just one week. Do these things to take care of this…then look people in the eye and stop hiding. After a week you will do one of two things, you will either be amazed at the response people give you, or u will sabotage yourself and not do it and continue hiding and be alone and miserable, not because of the bare people, but because of you.
I use VEET on my legs twice a week in the summer, knees down only, so I can at least wear capri’s..but if I’m in an intimate situation I’ll do the whole leg. I shave my forearms, face and underarms daily with this AWESOME shave lotion from KISS MY FACE…(yes that’s what the company is called
Look it up. The shave lasts longer. Before I started using it, I would have to shave my face twice a day because the black hair started showing through my skin within 4-5 hours and that doesn’t work out well when you have a full time job. With this, and using Simply Venus razors…it at least stays smooth for a whole day. Shave at night before bed…your skin is in better condition at that time of day. Exfoliate your skin everyday to keep the bumps and ingrown hairs under control…and taking Flax Seed oil capsules makes your skin softer and the hairs not a coarse. Take L-Lysine as an immune system booster to help you ward off boils that happen when an ingrown hair gets majorly infected and use Dial Antibacterial shower gel to keep them from getting infected. If you’re not in an intimate situation, what people can’t see doesn’t matter so leave it alone til you have to deal with it. I don’t worry about my private area unless I need to, and I just trim it with a beard and mustache trimmer. No one is bare there as an adult, and lets face it girls, it’s miserable when it’s growing back…and you know it’s going to, very quickly. Go to your doctor and talk to him about getting on Yasmin, which is a birth control pill for women with PCOS…it helps slow the hair growth, but it takes awhile so don’t get impatient. Also talk to your doctor about Spirolactone which is a really mild blood pressure med that counteracts the free antigens that over stimulate the hair growth. This also takes time, so again, don’t get impatient. (did you know that Rogain used to be used as a blood pressure medication til they found out it grew hair?) If all of this seems overwhelming, let me break it down alittle.
In the morning, take the flax seed oil capsules and L-Lysine. At night, when you shower, use the Dial Antibacterial shower gel with a loofa to exfoliate so you don’t have to deal with boils or ingrown hairs. Shave your arms, face and underarms with the Kiss My Face Shave Lotion (when you do it daily, it goes really fast) with the Simply Venus razors. (I’ve used allll kinds of razors and this works best for me.) Then on Tues night and friday night…use the VEET on your legs. If I simply shave my legs, the hair comes through the skin within 6 hrs…but the veet works for a couple days at least. Get yourself some PERFECT FINISH Neutralizing Afterwash by Epil-stop to neutralized the chemicals in the VEET after you are done. It helps prevent bumps, irritation and redness.
Girls, I hope this helps, and I TRUELY hope I haven’t offended any of you. I’m just speaking from experience. I would rather live life happy and see if fly by….than to hide and the years of misery stretch for an eternity. If I continued to do the latter….I would wonder what purpose could there possibly be for me having ever been born. You do these things I spoke of to take care of this stuff…and you will find your purpose for existence.
A TIP FOR LADIES WHO SHAVE THEIR FACES! If your skin gets easily reddened and irritated (like mine) after shaving, put a few drops of redness-reducing eyedrops in your palm and gently pat the affected area. Wait a few minutes or until redness is gone, then apply your makeup as usual. I’ve been doing this for several months, and it really cuts down on my liquid foundation and makes my shaving evidence a little less obvious.
Keep heart and carry on, ladies! In our Creator’s eyes, we are all gorgeous. ?
I’m 20 and have had hirsutism for as long as I can remember. Tried wax, bleach,shave, pluck, medication, laser, and electrolysis. well, spent probably more than $4000 and still wax every week. I just hate it, I can’t even date any guy because of it . I stopped swimming because I couldn’t tolerate the pain of full body waxing when I was about 12-15. I’m on medication now and I think I will continue to take it for a year and see what results. I’m just so tired of hiding it continuously and crying for the past 7 years. Bleaching and waxing sometimes has a bad effect on my skin (but it helps somewhat) I used to think I’m “preety but hairy” now I’m Like “that was delusion”…..:( .I’m just shattered and wish there was someone who would take me for who I am rather than who I am not(like when I’m waxed throughout).