10 Medical Reasons You’re Hairier Than You Want to Be

You have a hormone imbalance

Up to 8 percent of women have hirsutism, which is hair growth in a typical male pattern. This means you can get hair where you don’t want it, like your face, belly, thighs, or butt. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, about half of cases are caused by high levels of male sex hormones or “androgens,” like testosterone. A frequent culprit is polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). “Women with PCOS usually have excessive growth of facial or body hair because the condition produces excessive amounts of androgens,” says Ghasak Amer Mahmood, MD, an endocrinologist at PIH Health in Whittier, California. So how to get rid of body hair? “This commonly improves with treatment, which includes medications to help regulate the function of the ovaries and reduce the amount of androgens they secrete,” Dr. Mahmood says. The first line of treatment is usually the birth control pill; if that doesn’t work, other anti-androgen medications are available—although you shouldn’t take them if you are trying to get pregnant, as they can cause birth defects. These are the other clear signs you have a hormonal imbalance.

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