Medically speaking there are two types of excess hair growth. The first is called hirsutism. In this category, women or children develop hair growth in a similar distribution to that of adult men. This is cause for concern and very often is the sign of an endocrine imbalance. The second type of excess hair growth is called hypertrichosis. In hypertrichosis - men, women, or children simply have too much hair. This condition may be harmless or may be the sign of a genetic disorder or familial predisposition.

Hypertrichosis is a problem for many, but usually is more of a cosmetic problem than a serious medical one. In some areas of the world, like the Mediterranean for example, women tend to have more pigmented and coarser hair. In some families, women are genetically programmed to have excess hair as their mothers had. These all may be variants of normal. In some situations excess hair growth may be the result of a medicine a patient was given.

But in a small group of women, those with hirsutism, there may be a bonefide endocrinologic disorder. For this reason, all women with excess hair, or thickening of hair, should seek the advice of a dermatologist. Adrenal, ovarian, and pituitary malfunctions can also result in excess hair growth, and our staff endocrinologist is an expert in diagnosis. The good news is that almost all of these disorders are quite treatable. (See Hair Removal Procedures)