Women with mustaches may make for some odd photos on the Internet, but upper lip facial hair is quite commonly the bane of a woman’s existence. Learn how to get rid of unwanted facial hair and get diagnosed for what may cause it in the first place.
Women with Mustaches: More Common Than You Think!
CNN reports that unwanted facial hair affects an estimated 20 million women in the United States. Hair growth is not restricted to the upper lip. It may also affect the chin, cheeks, back, stomach area and even the chest. In addition to being unsightly, women mustache removal is not as easy as it sounds.
What Causes Unwanted Upper Lip Facial Hair in Women?
Heredity is a common denominator in women with mustaches. Family Doctor suggests that women with south Asian, Middle Eastern and also Mediterranean genes are most prominently affected. There is precious little you can do to counteract Mother Nature’s gifts at the root. Menopausal women may also notice unwanted upper lip facial hair growth.
This appearance suggests that the normally balanced hormones in the woman’s body are in upset, and androgens – male hormones – are affecting the body more strongly than estrogen, the female hormones. Another reason for women with mustaches is obesity. The makers of Vaniqa suggest that fat hangs on to androgens; it stands to reason that the more body fat a woman has, the more of the male hormone she is also storing in her body.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: The Elephant in the Room Only a Few Notice
In some cases, the sudden increase in androgens may be indicative of polycystic ovary syndrome. Unfortunately, polycystic ovary syndrome is quite frequently missed. The American College of Physicians reports that potential sufferers fail to report the symptoms pointing to the condition (they include not only the hair growth but also irregular periods) while healthcare provider don’t think of asking about them. Adding insult to injury, irregular periods may be masked by the use of birth control pills, which either delay the onset of menstruation or artificially reduce it.
Compounding the problem is the fact that a good many times any symptoms that are reported get chalked off to obesity. That being said, an estimated 80% of women with irregular periods may actually be suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome. Left untreated, it is associated with diabetes, the inability to have children and, of course, unwanted hair growth.
Get Rid of Unwanted Facial Hair by Eliminating Known Conditions That Cause It
Blood tests can quantify the hormone levels in the body, and look for abnormally high concentrations of male hormones, but polycystic ovary syndrome needs to be diagnosed with an ultrasound of the abdomen.
Vaniqa, a cream that is only available by prescription, may reduce unwanted hair. The downside is the length of time it takes to work – one to two months – and the fact, as reported by WebMD, that it does not actually remove hair but merely lessens it.
To actually get rid of unwanted facial hair, women will still have to resort to waxing, tweezing, electrolysis and bleaching. Moreover, if you cease to use Vaniqa, upper lip facial hair and other unwanted hair growth reverts to pretreatment levels within just eight weeks.
Women with Mustaches: Merely a Sideshow Attraction?
Perhaps the next time you search for Internet pics of women with mustaches and marvel why these gals have not made use of women mustache removal creams and gadgets, consider that your sideshow gawking may actually bring you face to face with – as of yet undiagnosed? – sufferers with polycystic ovary syndrome. Moreover, while you behold the abnormal upper lip facial hair, you do not see the woman in a possible private hell of her own: socially stigmatized, perhaps headed for diabetes and likely infertile.
Sources
http://www.cnn.com/
http://familydoctor.org/
http://www.webmd.com/
http://www.vaniqa.com/
http://www.vaniqa.com/files/Vaniqa_Prescription_Info.pdf
http://www.acpinternist.org/
