Is facial hair a sign that you have imbalanced hormones?

Everyone has facial hair. Where it grows, the amount and thickness usually signify if it’s due to an imbalance of hormones. If women have facial hair that’s dark, thick, and coarse, the condition is known as hirsutism.

Several reasons can contribute to why you grow facial hair. While the condition defines unusual hair growth, it doesn’t tell you the underlying cause. Still, each reason is related to either genetics or hormones. Even then, genetics may have a hormonal imbalance as the underlying cause.

Usually, women have facial hair that’s usually very fine. When hair that’s noticeable above the upper lip, dark enough or thick enough to be considered a moustache or facial hair longer than a quarter of an inch, is usually hormone related.

Women with hormone imbalances can also grow long, dark hair on their jawline, chin, arms, chest, stomach and back. The hair grows in this distinctive way due to high oestrogen levels or a woman’s testosterone level.

If you’re growing hair the way males grow hair, it’s one of the first signs that something could be wrong with your hormone levels and can cause some health problems.

When testosterone is off-balance in a woman’s body, it means that her body has a problem with the overproduction of male hormones called androgens. This could possibly be related to polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

This hormonal imbalance is common and can affect women even in their early teens. While the hair growth itself isn’t dangerous, its cause can leave a woman battling things like voice changes, masculine traits, and infertility.

If a woman has PCOS due to a hormone imbalance, symptoms can include problems with the menstrual cycle – including excessive bleeding, and cramping.

Cystic acne can be a sign, even for older women who are considered out of the acne-prone stage. Although male hormones and high oestrogen are one cause of PCOS, another critical factor is the amount of insulin that your body produces.

Insulin has been discovered in greater levels in women with a PCOS hormone imbalance. Some signs that your facial hair growth is caused by a hormonal imbalance could include anxiety, irritability, anger, crying, extreme fatigue, inability to conceive, headaches, low aldosterone levels and elevated levels of the stress hormone, cortisol.

Blood test can be done to evaluate your hormone levels to help you target the hormone responsible for your excess facial hair. On a more positive note, excessive facial hair growth caused by a hormone imbalance can be treated with natural medicine to restore your correct levels.

Trudy Kither, Naturopath, Iridologist, Herbalist and Owner of Nature’s Temple, Palmwoods. www.naturestemple.net

This information is for general informational purposes only. It should not be used to self-diagnose. It is not a substitute for a medical diagnosis, cure, treatment, diagnosis, and prescription or recommendation. Always seek the advice of a registered natural medicine practitioner or other qualified health providers with any specific health questions you may have.