Have you ever caught yourself randomly rubbing your chin, searching for a rogue hair?
Those often coarser, darker, unwanted chin hairs are common — affecting nearly half of women — and are determined by your age, genetics, ethnicity and hormonal changes during different stages of life, from puberty through menopause, said Corinne Erickson, an Atlanta-based dermatologist and a medical adviser to Alloy Health, a telehealth company.
We asked health experts to explain the potential causes and most effective treatments to get rid of chin hair. Here’s what they said.
Normal chin hair growth
Of course, facial hair is normal for both men and women, and generally just varies in amount and color, which is largely determined by genetics. (Coarser, darker strands are known as terminal hairs, while thinner, finer hair, or “peach fuzz,” is known as vellus hair.)
It’s not unusual for women to see an increase in isolated chin hairs during hormonal shifts, most commonly during menopause. Starting in perimenopause, women experience a drop in estrogen levels, while the testosterone and androgen hormones that drive facial hair growth stay higher. “The chin hairs happen in that gap when estrogen drops fast and testosterone is kind of taking the stairs down more slowly,” Erickson said.
Medications such as oral minoxidil, which is commonly prescribed for female pattern hair loss, can cause it, too. “It doesn’t discriminate about where it grows hair,” Erickson said. If you notice an increase in facial hair, speak with your dermatologist about adjusting the dose or hair removal, she said.
When to talk to a doctor
If the coarse, terminal hairs become excessive and start growing in a male-patterned way — not only on the chin, but also on other areas of the face, between the breasts, around the belly button and on the upper inner thighs — it might signal a hormonal issue, said Nanette Santoro, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
This hair growth pattern, called hirsutism, along with hair loss on the scalp, acne and a deepening voice can be a sign of excessive amounts of hormones called androgens, which may be driven by various medical conditions. One of the most common, PMOS, which stands for polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, can show up as early as puberty and cause acne, irregular periods, infertility, obesity and more.
In very rare cases, when excessive facial hair comes on suddenly and is accompanied by other signs of excess androgens, it could suggest a potential androgen-secreting tumor in the adrenal glands or ovaries.
Laboratory tests “are going to be most important for ruling out one of these more uncommon things like an adrenal tumor or an ovarian tumor” and, if the results are abnormal, imaging studies may be needed, Erickson said. Though, she said, blood tests are not always reliable for assessing hormone imbalances and conditions such as PMOS because hormones can fluctuate.
Possible treatment options
If your random chin hairs bother you, depending on the cause, there are effective ways to manage and get rid of them.
Plucking, shaving and waxing: Pulling out your chin hairs will not make them grow back faster, darker or thicker. That’s a myth. In fact, Elizabeth Bahar Houshmand, a Dallas-based dermatologist, said dermaplaning — using a straight razor to shave off the top layer of dead skin cells — can help not only remove the visible part of the coarse hairs but also the fine peach fuzz that can be difficult to tweeze. But these methods don’t remove the roots.
Laser hair removal and electrolysis: For dark brown or black hairs, Houshmand said she often recommends laser hair removal. Over the course of multiple sessions, the laser targets the pigment, or melanin, in the hair and converts the light into heat that damages the follicles. Research shows it can reduce hirsutism severity. Laser hair removal doesn’t work as well for blond, red or gray hair. But electrolysis — in which a tiny probe is inserted into the hair follicle to destroy the hair growth center — can work on any hair color, Houshmand said.
Topical treatments: Eflornithine, a prescription topical cream, is sometimes used to slow the growth of facial hair in women, but it won’t actually get rid of the hair. Houshmand said it can help when used alongside electrolysis or laser hair removal.
Oral medications: There are several medications that can help with unwanted facial hair, research shows, but it depends on the underlying cause. In some cases, birth control pills may be prescribed for PMOS to decrease the amount of testosterone being made in the ovaries, said Adrian Dobs, an endocrinologist and a professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Spironolactone, a hypertension medication, is often used off-label to stop male hormones (androgens) from attaching to the hair follicles. And finasteride prevents the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) — an androgen that drives facial hair growth.
But whether you choose to keep it or treat it, know that chin hair is nothing to be embarrassed about, Dobs said.
“Humans are hairy. It may not be socially acceptable, but it is definitely physiological,” she said.
The post What causes random chin hairs and what to do about them appeared first on Washington Post.
