Excessive body hair

[olivia]

I am a 20 year old african-american female.  At about age 16 (3 years after I hit puberty) I began to grow dark, coarse hair on my neck, chest, and stomach. At first I tried plucking it out, but it has increased exponentially as the years pass.  It is too coarse for depilatories, too abundant for electrolysis, and  shaving leaves scarring and ingrown hairs. This kind of thing runs in my family, but never to this extent. It grows on the side of my face, all over my throat, from my breasts up to my collarbone, on my stomach, and is starting to come in on my chin.  It is getting more and more difficult to hide and is having a huge effect on my self-esteem.  If it is relevant, my menstrual cycle is also somewhat irregular. I have never heard or read of anyone else with this problem and am ashamed to discuss it with anyone. Is it possible that I have a rare disease or hormone disorder?  Thank you so much for your attention.

[heather]

I would like to point out that laser hair removal has not been proved permanent.  The only method of hair removal that has been shown to be permanent is electrolysis.  I myself was considering laser hair removal recently but have researched the topic on the web and have finally decided that it is too risky to invest in laser treatment.  Considering that many men undergo electrolysis treatment, I don't believe any amount of excess hair can be "too abundant for electrolysis".  I would recommend Olivia to visit the site of the American Electrology Association at http://www.electrology.com/ .  If you have questions about electrolysis, you may have them answered by certified electrologists on the discussion board of the AEA.

[PJ Bennett]

Dear Olivia,

You might want to look into Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome which can cause hair growth that is typically male.

Good Luck,
PJ

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Olivia:

It is unlikely that you have a metabolic or hormonal disorder, but if you have irregular periods, you ought to check out the possibility nevertheless.

There is much variation between individuals in how much hair is present or acceptable.  Treatment options include electrolysis (lengthy and tedious) and laser.  Many laser systems can't be used on dark or black skin.  The Softlight process can, however, produce rapid hair loss, even though results are not permanent.

I suggest you consult a dermatologist with laser expertise and access to several laser systems.  Contact local medical centers, or visit the American Academy of Dermatology website (www.aad.org .)

You can be helped.  Good luck.

Dr. R

P.S.  You write very well!