What Causes Unwanted Facial Hair?
Facial hair may begin to grow in women as a result of the natural aging process. Every woman has a normal amount of male hormones (called "androgens") in her body. As women age, the body produces more of these androgens which may cause an increase in hair growth on the chin, upper cheeks or neck area.
Though heredity or age causes most UFH, some facial hair growth can be linked to underlying medical conditions that can cause an increase in androgen production, in turn causing UFH. One cause of excess androgens in the body is obesity. Fat retains androgen, so the more overweight a person is, the more androgen is kept in the body, potentially causing some male-patterned hair growth. Other medical causes for excessive hair growth can be polycystic ovary syndrome, or hormonal fluctuations due to pregnancy or menopause.
Who has Unwanted Facial Hair?
Unwanted Facial Hair (UFH) is more common than you might think: 41 million women in the United States remove unwanted hair at least once in six months, with 20% of those removing UFH weekly, and 4% of them removing it every single day1. So if you're bothered by facial hair, you're not alone.
Who are these 41 million women with UFH? They come from all age groups, ethnicities and income levels. Though they come from diverse backgrounds, one thing they share is their frustration with UFH.
Ways to Manage Unwanted Facial Hair.
For the millions of women who manage their UFH, the large number of facial hair removers should come as no surprise. There are products that cut, dissolve, lighten, remove and even alter the biological production of facial hair, including chin hair. Of all of the different management methods available, most do not permanently remove hair.