Hirsutism

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Definition Symptoms Causes Risk factors When to seek medical advice

Tests and diagnosis Complications Treatments and drugs Prevention Lifestyle and home remedies

Definition

Everyone has body hair, and the amount each of us has is largely determined by our genetic makeup. But when a woman develops excessive amounts of coarse and pigmented hair on body areas where men typically grow hair — such as on the face, chest and back — she may have a condition called hirsutism.

Hirsutism is a condition of unwanted, male-pattern hair growth in women. Hirsutism may arise from excess male hormones called androgens, the key hormone being testosterone, or it may be due to an ethnic or familial trait. Up to 10 percent of U.S. women have some degree of hirsutism.

A combination of self-care and medical therapies provides effective treatment for many women with hirsutism.

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Symptoms