Facial hair is a common characteristic in the male population, the growth of this feature in women, however, is a rather unwelcome development. Women, generally, do not develop facial hair. There are, unfortunately, some individuals, who by some hereditary or environmental reason, develop hair growth on their chin, on top of the lip or in the side burn area.

The growth of facial hair in women is known as hirsutism. This condition is reflected by the development of excess hair in areas uncommon to women and is usually indicative of irregular hormone levels.

The development of hair attributed to hirsutism is mostly related to hormones. This condition does not manifest prior to puberty and usually develops once the individual starts to show secondary sexual characteristics.

When unwanted facial hair begins to develop and grows thick, then it is best to consult a physician to determine the cause of the growth and to determine treatment methods to stop the continued growth of hair or to permanently remove the hair altogether.

In dealing with the growth of unwanted facial hair, it is first best to determine the underlying cause for the condition. The growth may be due to the fluctuating hormone levels brought about by pregnancy or menopause. If this is a probable cause, most doctors will advice individuals to wait for the hormone levels to settle prior to undertaking a course of action to remove the hair. This is important as you may not need to undergo expensive facial removal treatments once your hormone levels have settled down. It is also necessary to let your hormones settle before beginning any treatment to allow for the best possible results.

Once the cause of the unwanted facial hair has been determined, your doctor will then give a recommendation on the best course of action. You may be advised to have the hair removed through electrolysis or laser hair removal. These procedures present the best possible and most permanent solutions to facial hair removal. Other temporary solutions include waxing, using creams or depilatories, plucking, waxing, shaving, and threading. These methods, although effective and inexpensive, produce only temporary results and require maintenance. The permanent hair removal solutions are probably your best options for removing unwanted facial hair. Electrolysis and laser hair removal are not exactly inexpensive and will require multiple procedures over a certain period of time, but they are very effective and the results are guaranteed to last.