Unwanted Facial Hair And Menopause

Dec 28, 2017 Unwanted Facial Hair

The menopause usually occurs between the ages of forty-five and fifty-five when oestrogen levels decrease. Periods become erratic and a whole load of undesirable symptoms accompanies them.  Unwanted facial hair can sometimes occur as a result of hormone changes. It is a difficult time in a woman’s life as it signifies the end of their childbearing years and the end of youth. Periods eventually stop and the ovaries no longer produce eggs.  The menopause has a major impact on the health and well-being of women and causes great discomfort. It is a natural part of life and all women go through it. There are a number of treatments to help women get through the menopause including hormone replacement therapy.  Other treatments include cognitive behaviour therapy and healthy eating.  The symptoms of the menopause cause the most distress because the body changes in many ways.

What Is The Menopause?

The menopause occurs at the end of a woman’s fertile years and results in them unable to conceive naturally.  Oestrogen levels drop resulting in the ovaries stopping egg production.  Hormone levels fluctuate, periods eventually stop and the body settles down.  Symptoms during the menopause cause women the most problems. Hot flushes, sweating at night, sleeping difficulties, anxiety, depression, vaginal dryness and lack of sex drive are common symptoms.  Some women also suffer from unwanted facial hair due to the decrease in oestrogen in their system.  Many women are highly emotional during the menopause and find it difficult to cope with. Hormone replacement therapy, cognitive behaviour therapy, oestrogen creams, healthy eating and exercising help to reduce symptoms.

What Causes Unwanted Facial Hair?

Unwanted facial hair or hirsutism is generally due to hormone imbalance.  Polycystic ovary syndrome is a major cause in non-menopausal women. It can reduce self-esteem and make women feel very self-conscious. Women don’t grow beards due to the hormone oestrogen keeping the male hormone testosterone at bay.  During the menopause, oestrogen reduces allowing testosterone to convert into DHT and produce facial hair.  DHT stands for dihydrotestosterone which is responsible for hair growth on your face. Your hair follicles become stronger causing unwanted facial hair to grow in similar places to a man’s.  Women normally grow hair on their cheeks, chin and upper lip which is distressing, to say the least.   Unwanted facial during the menopause is due to changes in hormones. Hormone replacement therapy sometimes reduces facial hair but not always.

Treatments

There are a wide variety of treatments for unwanted facial hair which include shaving and depilatory creams.  Weaving, shaving, waxing, sugaring, hair removal creams and laser therapy are treatments for unwanted facial hair. Most women choose the most effective way to remove hair for themselves.  Shaving is very cost effective but may cause a rash.  Weaving, sugaring and waxing require a visit to a salon so may be more expensive.  Laser hair removal is effective but takes time and again is quite expensive.  Depilatory cream dissolves the hair but doesn’t reduce overall hair growth. Hair removal cream such as Vaniqa works by weakening the hair follicles so that eventually hair will stop growing. It takes time for the treatment to work so you will have to use your usual hair removal technique in the meantime.   All hair removal treatments are temporary because hair will regrow once the treatment has stopped.  If you would like to review and purchase treatment for unwanted facial hair please click here.  

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