| Bone Health | |
First, hot flashes, next the dreaded dry vagina, then weight gain. What else can happen to my body during menopause? Surely, I feel, the worst must be over. Then one morning I wake up to discover a two-inch black hair has sprouted from the bottom of my chin. Maybe it is just a hair from my makeup brush. Maybe I rolled over onto my husband’s pillow and one of his hairs stuck to my chin. Or maybe the dog slept on my face during the night. I tug at it to find it is attached. Will other uninvited stray hairs follow? Oh no, what’s a menopausal girl to do? Over 40 million women in the United States have unwanted facial hair. Women in the USA do not like having facial hair. We are a “hairless” society. As opposed to European women who have the choice to shave or not to shave because it is socially acceptable to have hair on other parts of the body. Why do we get unwanted facial hair during menopause? Unwanted facial hair may be caused as part of the normal aging process, menopause, hereditary factors, obesity, and medical conditions such as polycystic ovarian syndrome or androgen excess disorder. Some women may only experience a few stray hairs on the chin, others may grow visible hair on the upper lip, and some may develop a heavy beard like growth. Whether your growth is slight or extremely obvious, excessive facial hair can produce low self-esteem and embarrassment. Common causes of unwanted facial hair Genetic: Many different cultures are more likely to have facial hair than others. Women from Mediterranean areas may be more prone to facial hair whereas women from Poland are less prone. Hormonal: Many women experiencing hormonal changes from menopause, pregnancy or illness start noticing abnormal amounts of unwanted facial hair. Women have both estrogens (female hormones) and androgens (male hormones). As we age and enter the menopause transition, the levels of both hormones naturally decline. These fluctuations can cause a few stray hairs to full bread-like growth. Aging: As women age, the body produces more androgens which may cause an increase in hair growth on the chin, upper cheeks or neck area. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Abnormal ovarian function results from a hormone imbalance that can cause irregular periods, weight gain, and excess facial and/or body hair. Obesity: Unwanted facial hair can also be caused by obesity due to an increase in androgen production. Fat retains androgen, so the more overweight a person is, the more androgen is kept in the body, potentially causing unwanted facial hair growth. Medications: There are some medications that can stimulate the growth of stray, darker, coarser hair such as anabolic steroids, phenytoin, cyclosporine, combination medications with testosterone for example estratest and minoxidil (used for high blood pressure as well as baldness in men). So how do you manage or treat unwanted facial hair? Women have been looking for ways to permanently remove hair for years. There are three different strategies to manage unwanted facial hair. Temporary Removal Plucking with tweezers is a good solution for a few strands of unwanted hair. But, if you have a large area of unwanted hair plucking can be time consuming. But physically plucking the hair out of its follicle is inexpensive. The hair also takes longer to grow back because it must grow to the skin’s surface before noticing the hair again. If you pluck the same hair out over and over again you may damage the follicle and keep it from producing hair. Bleaching is not actually a hair removal process. Instead the bleach actually removes the pigment from the hair. After applying the chemical to the area of unwanted hair for a period of time, it is rinsed off leaving the dark unwanted hair bleached. This method is good for larger areas over the lip, sides of the face, neck and between the eyebrows. Jolene is a popular bleaching cream product you can purchase over-the-counter. If you have extremely black, coarse hair you may wish to consider other options. Chemical Depilatories are available in lotion, gels, creams, powders and aerosol forms. The chemical substance is applied for three to 15 minutes and dissolves the hair above the skin’s surface, not at the root. After you wipe or wash off the substance the results last about 3 to 5 days. You can purchase depilatories over-the-counter. The most common side effect is skin irritation because the chemical actually melts away the skin cells. It is best to test the product on a small area first 48 hours before using it on large areas of unwanted hair. Shaving is an easy, but temporary option. The hair is only removed at the skin’s surface. You must shave move often to achieve optimum benefits. If shaving is your preference, shave downward to prevent ingrown hairs. And shave after applying a moisturizer like shaving cream, hair conditioner or body wash to help the razor glide over the skin and not nick or cut it. It is a myth that shaving will make your hair thicker, darker or grow faster. |
|
|
