Facial hair is nothing less than a curse for women. Okay, ladies with a peachy fuzz or even a bit more than that which doesn’t make you look like a man, please quit considering yourself the victim here.
I am talking about prominent facial hair which you can’t pass as natural. Many women, especially now when PCOS has become a common health condition in women, are facing the issue of excessive hair growth on unnatural areas such as the face, tummy, chest, etc.
The primary cause of this abnormal hair growth is hirsutism, a condition that causes an increase in the secretion of male hormones (androgen) than the body should. However, it is not limited to this cause and in some cases, just the ethnicity of an individual plays a role as well.
Here are some of the probable causes for facial hair:
Hormonal Imbalance
While hirsutism is a condition, there are instances where a temporary imbalance in hormones causes abnormal facial hair growth such as puberty, pregnancy, menopause, etc.
When a woman is pregnant, the levels of testosterone are naturally high causing temporary hirsutism. Once the child is born, although it takes a while to get the system on track, levels of testosterone go back to normal.
The same is with menopause. While the production of estrogen is at a halt, testosterone secretion is unhindered which ultimately increases androgen. Facial hairs in women above the age of 45 are more common.
Medications
This is by far the most dreadful cause of facial hair as we are unknowingly putting them into our system. Several anabolic steroids and birth control medicines have progesterone which messes with the normal hormone levels in the female body.
Continuous use of these medications can disrupt the hormonal balance and may cause hirsutism in women.
Obesity
Obesity has always been associated with illnesses and abnormal hair growth in women is no different. Obesity increases the level of free testosterone in women which may contribute to hirsutism.
Moreover, obesity is linked to insulin resistance. High levels of insulin may elevate the production of estrogen which could result in prominent facial hair in women.
Hormonal Disorders
We talked about hormonal imbalance which focused on temporarily elevated levels of male hormones. But there are several conditions which may are not permanent and cause a long-term hirsutism in women. The following hormonal disorders can be responsible for abnormal hair growth in women:
- Pituitary Adenomas: Pituitary adenomas are non-cancerous tumors which are more common than we can think in women. These tumors secrete prolactin, a hormone that is associated with androgens.
- Adrenal Hyperplasia: The abnormal enlargement of adrenal glands is called adrenal hyperplasia. In this hormonal disorder, because the size of the glands increases, the secretion of male hormones is elevated resulting in unwanted facial hair.
- Cushing Syndrome: Tumors in adrenal or pituitary glands cause Cushing Syndrome which usually disrupts the entire hormonal harmony which in turn causes hirsutism.
Simply Genetics
Like I mentioned earlier, if you belong to a certain ethnicity, you are more likely to develop facial hairs. However, if you do not, and neither of the above-mentioned causes fit your excessive facial hair issue, you may simply have inherited the extra hair trait from your ancestors.
And if none of this fits perfectly, you belong to the 20% of those women who suffer from idiopathic hirsutism. Meaning, the cause for the facial hairs is not known and the hair growth starts after puberty and progresses slowly.
Waxing: The Most Popular Method Of Dealing With Facial Hairs
Shaving facial-hairs is not as approachable as a method as it is for legs and arms. Women are preferring a face wax kit over shaving or other permanent methods for removing facial hairs.
There are different types of waxes available for face and each of it has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. For instance, a hard facial wax kit is formulated in a way that it works even on the smallest of hairs making it a perfect pick for the face. Moreover, as it doesn’t need strips, it is not as messy as the regular wax.
Another wax is the regular, the sugar wax. Experienced estheticians advocate for sugar wax as it is lighter on the skin. However, it becomes quite messy with the use of strips, unlike hard wax.
Also, because it has weaker adhesion with the hairs when compared to the hard waxes, the length of the hairs matter for a thorough waxing. This is a huge drawback for sugar waxes because if women have a prominent growth, they would prefer it to get rid of them as soon as possible.
Tips On Facial Waxing
- Your face is the most sensitive part of the body and using the harsh heat of the wax and pulling hairs could prove to be more painful than you imagined. It is advisable to pop a painkiller before you start with the procedure. In all, you must be ready for what’s coming!
- If you are regularly waxing your face, exfoliation is extremely important as it is one of the most prominent areas for the occurrence of ingrown hairs. However, you must use softer methods to exfoliate and quit its use before two days of waxing.
- Wax your own face only if you are completely confident about your skills. If you are an amateur, don’t test your skills on your face. Try other areas because directions of the wax application as well as pulling it is important. Moreover, if you really choose to do it on your own, make sure your facial wax warmer is separate and that you don’t use it for any other purpose.
- You know your skin the best. Study your skin. Is it oily? Is it dry? Is it sensitive? Is it acne prone? If your skin is oily, quit using moisturizers before two days of waxing as this is a hydrating process. Excessive oil accumulation can cause acne. Also, never exfoliate immediately after waxing. Don’t use any kind of chemicals, even a face wash, for at least 24 hours of waxing. Use just water to clean off your skin.
There you go! Now you not only know the essentials of facial waxing but are also aware of the reasons behind it. It is always better to know the cause before treating it. Make sure you know the reason for your hirsutism before you start treating it. Also, always use prominent brands for buying facial wax beads such as Starpil to have a satisfactory experience.
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