Facial hair is not a common occurrence in women; however, a condition known as hirsutism does exist. This condition is characterized by the presence of excessive facial or body hair in women. Hirsutism usually comes out when an individual is going through puberty or menopause and may sometimes be developed as a symptom of a grave underlying medical condition.

Hirsutism can affect a womans chin, her upper lip, the side burn area and other areas of her body such as the neck, chest, upper thighs, and even the pubic region. This condition produces what is known as terminal hair a stiff and opaque type of hair. Typically, the hair that grows in regions affected by hirsutism are very fine and barely visible to the eye; however, with hirsutism the hair develops into the terminal type of hair.

This condition may either be hereditary or caused by external conditions. A case of hereditary hirsutism does not generally indicate a medical problem, and instead indicates a mostly cosmetic condition. A non-hereditary case, on the other hand, may be caused by hormonal imbalance or the overproduction of the male hormone testosterone. Another probable cause may be an increase in the hair follicles sensitivity to the level of male hormones in the body.

There are several things a woman can do to tackle the problem of facial hair. These options, however, should only be used by women who have a mild to moderate case of female facial hair:

• Tweezing

Tweezing is one of the most popular solutions to mild facial hair. Most women opt to remove the facial hair. This option, however, is only temporary as the hair grows back after some time.

• Bleaching

Other women opt to hide the facial hair by bleaching the hair that has developed. This procedure may be done at salons.

• Using prescription creams

Prescription topical creams may be used to temporarily remove the facial hair. This solution is also temporary since the hair grows back after several days or weeks.

• Permanent hair removal

Permanent hair removal is a good option for women who do not want the hassle of regular salon visits to bleach or remove their facial hair. Electrolysis is a good option for permanent hair removal. Another option is laser hair removal.

The aforementioned solutions to female facial hair are simply presented as probable solutions and should not be your first option when the problem occurs. Whenever an excessive presence of facial hair on a woman occurs, it is recommended to consult a specialist to determine the cause and find possible solutions for the problem. This condition may simply be a symptom of a more severe medical condition that may need immediate attention.