Unwanted hair growth

Category: Skin, Hair & Nails · All skin symptoms

What it can feel like

Unwanted hair growth (hirsutism) means coarse, dark hair growing in a male pattern in women — upper lip, chin, chest, abdomen, back — driven by androgen hormones or by follicles unusually sensitive to normal androgen levels. It is common, distressing, and worth a hormone check when it is new, worsening or accompanied by other features.

Possible causes

A symptom can have many causes, and most are not serious. The lists below group conditions this symptom can be associated with — common causes first. They are possibilities to discuss with a clinician, not a diagnosis.

Common causes

Unwanted hair growth can be associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (the commonest cause, often with irregular periods, acne and weight gain), family and ethnic patterns with normal hormone levels, and the menopause.

Other possible causes

Rapidly progressive hirsutism can be associated with androgen-secreting tumours of the ovary or adrenal gland (rare), Cushing's syndrome, and medicines including some steroids, epilepsy drugs and testosterone-containing products.

Red flags — when to seek help promptly

Hair growth that appears rapidly over months, with deepening voice or increased muscle bulk — prompt assessment
Hirsutism with absent or very irregular periods, or difficulty conceiving
Hirsutism with stretch marks, easy bruising and weight gain in the trunk (possible Cushing's)
New hirsutism after starting a new medicine

What a clinician may do

A clinician will assess the distribution and speed, ask about periods, acne, weight and medicines, and arrange blood tests for androgens and related hormones. Management combines treating the cause, hormone-regulating treatment where appropriate, and hair-removal methods matched to the area.

Watch: related videos

Examination and clinical videos from the MedicalVideos.com library relevant to this symptom. Some clinical footage is graphic — that is the nature of a medical video library.

▶ WatchHirsutismWatch on MedicalVideos.com

Related guides on MedicalVideos.com

Frequently asked questions

If my hormones are normal, why is the hair growing?

Follicles differ in sensitivity — in many women the local enzyme activity in the skin converts normal hormone levels into stronger local signals. This is idiopathic hirsutism: real hair growth, normal bloods, treated at the skin and with hormone-modulating therapy when wanted.

Why does it matter when it started?

Slow change over years from the teens with irregular periods points to polycystic ovary syndrome. Hair growth appearing de novo over a few months in an older woman, especially with virilising features, points to an androgen source that must be found — speed is the alarm bell.

Related symptoms — Skin, Hair & Nails

A mole that has changed A new lump under the skin A sore that does not heal Dry skin Easy bruising Flaky scalp (dandruff)

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Please note: This page is educational information about a symptom. A symptom alone cannot diagnose any condition, and the causes listed here are possibilities, not a diagnosis. If you are worried about a symptom — especially one that is new, severe, getting worse or not going away — please see your own clinician, who can examine you and arrange tests. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.