Body Hair Maintenance

Most women I know who have what is considered a head FULL of hair also have the grueling task of maintaining, manicuring or grooming their body hair. I am unfortunately a member of the very hairy club. Your body hair - its amount, colour and distribution - is determined by your age, sex, racial and ethnic origin. Hereditary factors are very important so a family history of hairiness (the medical term is 'hirsutism') will predispose you to being hairier than your friends. Sometimes, in rare cases, it can be a medical cause & effect like an imbalance of hormones. 





Medical causes of hirsutism 

Rarely, a genetic disorder causes excessive body hairiness and this can be present from birth. 

Hormonal causes include disorders of the pituitary gland, adrenal glands or ovaries resulting in overproduction of male hormones. 

The commonest condition linked to hirsutism is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This poorly understood condition may affect 10-20% of women and is linked to over-stimulation of the ovaries and production of excess male hormones causing male hair patterns, infertility and menstrual problems. 

Medications, including Minoxidil, Phenytoin, Cyclosporin, and anabolic steroids can cause hairiness. 

Ageing - as a natural part of the ageing process including the menopause, many women to show altered body hair patterns and develop some facial hair

Over the course of my history with hair lol I have tried everything from those smelly depilatory creams like Nair or Neet, to shaving, waxing, tweezing, threading and even laser hair removal. Ouch! The methods I have not tried and do not plan on experimenting with are electrolysis, bleaching and Eflornithine - used regularly as a cream, this drug slows hair growth but is not available in the UK. There are also hormonal treatments to be had by way of your physician. www.yourdiscovery.com

















Although I do consider myself to be hairy, I am not excessively so, much to the point where I want to take some oral contraceptive pill to reduce hair growth. These are usually reserved for women who suffer a severe case of male hormones. The definition of 'excessive' hair is subjective, as different people have widely varying amounts of body hair. Cultures where the ethnic majority is hairier, such as Mediterranean populations, are generally more accepting of female body hair and so in these populations there is less pressure on women to remove armpit, leg or pubic hair. In communities where female equality is prominent, personal choice may be a stronger factor. Some women detest having any body hair like me, whereas others are not concerned by it, happy to let their body hair grow and show. I know some women who don't shave their legs while others like myself, loathe having hair on my body any other place besides my head and eyebrows!


Whatever the case may be, facial hair in women remains one of the last taboos and it takes a strong female character to resist the temptation to remove it. Speaking of hair removal there are some methods which are better than others for the health of your skin. Often times when using the wrong methods this results in razor bumps, stubble and even hyper-pigmentation. See my previous post about how to get Healthy Glowing Skin naturally with effective ways of clearing up those pesky blemishes. 

How do you feel about body hair on yourself? What methods have you successfully used to remove it?