Struggling With Unwanted Hair Growth? Here's What You Need to Know About Hirsuitism
Do you have hair growing in places you aren’t even prepared for and does it leave you feeling self-conscious?
And let's be clear, I'm not talking about long, lustrous locks that grown on your head to make you look like a version of rapunzel.
I'm talking about the hair growth known as hirsuitism that pops up on your chin, upper lip, back, upper thighs and belly button. The type of hair growth that leaves you uncomfortable and having to plan what days you show up in the office.
If you can relate to that, then you are in the right place today.
Did you know that hirsuitism is common with PCOS? That's because it's a common PCOS hormone imbalance symptom and it could be impacting your fertility.
Today you are going to learn all the important details about hirsuitism including how it affects your fertility and five supplements that help take that extra hair growth away.
What is hirsuitism?
Hirsuitism is unwanted hair growth in areas that wouldn't normally have hair. This type of hair grows in areas like the upper lip, chin, back, belly button, and the upper thighs.
What causes hirsuitism?
Hirsuitism comes from an increase in androgen hormones which are testosterone and DHEA.
It's common to have hirsuitism with PCOS because those androgen hormones are part of the PCOS diagnosis. In fact, it's estimated that 75% of women with PCOS have this unwanted hair growth.
This hair growth is known as "male pattern hair growth". Why? Because it's common for males and those with male hormones to get hair growth on the face, the back and legs.
In females? Our natural hormone pattern doesn't promote that type of hair growth. But when the male pattern hormones like testosterone are elevated in someone with female hormones? That's when you get hirsuitism.
How is it diagnosed?
If you are concerned that you have hirsuitism, you will want to visit your doctor to get a physical exam.
—>Tip! Make sure to go with some hair growing or with some pictures! If you’ve recently tweezed or had electrolysis, that won’t be helpful.
Your doctor will use the Ferrimen-Gallwey score to diagnose your hirsuitism. First they will look at these different areas of your body to evaluate the amount of hair growth you have:
Upper lip like the mustache area
Chin including on the face and under the chin, similar to a beard pattern
Chest
Upper back
Lower back
Upper abdomen, or belly
Lower abdomen, or belly
Upper arms
Thighs
You will get a score of zero to four in each of those areas. Zero means no hair growth and four means lots of hair growth.
After that, they will add up the score to determine your level of hirsuitism. A few scrawny chin hairs that pop up every few months? That's not going to throw you into the diagnosis of hirsuitism.
Your doctor may also adjust your score depending on your ethnic background. Different ethnicities have different levels of normal hair growth.
How long does it take to improve?
Realistically, you will need to have some patience before you throw away your tweezers! Studies that I mention below have find that hirsuitism improves anywhere between two and six months.
Testing
Getting a simple blood test done can help you determine if elevated testosterone is the cause of your unwanted hair growth struggles.
Here are the tests I recommend:
Free testosterone
Total testosterone
Sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG)
DHEA
Hormone metabolite test like the DUTCH Test
Testosterone salivary testing which can be a better marker of the free hormone.
Treatment
The focus of treatment to help normalize hair growth patterns is to block the androgen hormones.
Medications
The androgen blocker, spironolactone can be used to treat hirsuitism and it's typically reserved for people with more severe hair growth.
Top 5 Supplements to Improve Hirsuitism
Supplements can be helpful androgen-blockers as well. These five supplements have been found helpful in blocking those hormones and improving that pesky hair growth.
Top 5 Best Supplements for Hirsuitism #1: Nettle
Are you familiar with stinging nettle? Most of us know it as the pesky leaf that you try to avoid when hiking. But surprisingly? Nettle is a powerhouse herb that helps PCOS in a variety of ways. And improving hirsuitism is one of those important jobs that it does.
In one study nettle was shown to help lower androgen levels through its antioxidant properties. Nettle is also a 5-alpha reductase blocker which also helps lower androgen hormones to improve unwanted hair growth.
But how do you find nettle without it causing a huge, itchy rash? Don't fear! You can easily get nettle in capsule form.
Top 5 Best Supplements for Hirsuitism #2: Zinc
Zinc was found to have a positive effect on androgen levels in one study. This study found that supplementing with 50mg of zinc per day improved the excess hair growth.
Zinc works by blocking 5-alpha reductase enzyme to help lower testosterone.
Where to find zinc?
Thankfully zinc is commonly found in prenatal vitamins. So if you're already taking a prenatal, you'll just want to be sure that it has at least 50mg of zinc in it.
You can also find individual zinc supplements or you can eat more zinc containing foods like:
Oysters
Red meat
Poultry
Top 5 Best Supplements for Hirsuitism #3: Progesterone
If elevated testosterone is causing your extra hair growth, then bio-identical progesterone may be a helpful addition for you. Studies find that it can help the liver metabolize testosterone to get it out of the body more quickly.
Top 5 Best Supplements for Hirsuitism #4: Melatonin
One study completed over 12 weeks looked at the effects of melatonin on unwanted hair growth. What happened over this 12 week period? Melatonin improved hirsuitism significantly by lowering testosterone levels.
How to find melatonin?
You can get a melatonin supplement or you can eat more foods that contain melatonin like:
Milk
Nuts
Cherries
Fish
Goji berries
Top 5 Best Supplements for Hirsuitism #5: Myo-Inositol
Have you heard of myo-inositol? I'm guessing you have because it's wildly popular to use with PCOS, and for good reason.
A study found that myo-inositol helped improve hirsuitism over a 6 month period. It helped by both lowering androgen hormones and also improving insulin sensitivity.
How to find myo-inositol
Myo-inositol is best taken by a supplement, particularly for PCOS. This is because there is a lot of powerful research about how myo-inositol helps improve insulin resistance and ovulation with PCOS.
You can also eat foods with melatonin like:
Fruits
Beans
Grains
Nuts
Summary
Hirsuitism is a type of hair growth that is typically found in males. But when hormones like testosterone or DHEA (the androgen hormones) pop up, then that causes unwanted hair growth (hirsuitism) in females. It's very common in PCOS because people with PCOS have a higher chance of having those elevated androgen hormones. There is a medication that can help severe cases of hirsuitism, or there are some natural supplements and nutrients that have been found to help someone clear those extra hairs. These supplements include:
Melatonin
Zinc
Progesterone
Nettle
Myo-inositol
Is hirsuitism just the beginning of your PCOS problems? Are you also struggling with fertility issues and do you feel like you've lost yourself in the process?
You are not alone and there is hope.
If you're feeling lost and broken, then it's time for a new approach. And you need an approach that is unique to your body and your PCOS. An approach that addresses what your body needs in order to optimize your fertility and boost your chances of getting pregnant.
Imagine having regular periods and ovulating naturally.
Imagine knowing that you were taking care of your body in order to have the best chance at becoming pregnant.
Your first step is to sign up for a FREE PCOS Fertility Breakthrough Session.
During your session, you will discover
What's been missing from your care that's keeping you from getting pregnant.
Your biggest PCOS fertility frustrations and how to turn those around so you can get the best results.
The most important next step to help improve your fertility with PCOS.
