Excessive Hair

Excessive Hair
Excessive Hair

Solutions

Excessive hair refers to an abnormal or unwanted amount of hair growth on the body.

Want to do something about unwanted hair on your legs or face? Almost every woman on the planet (with the exception of those who enjoy sporting lots of hair!) would probably jump at the chance to NOT have to shave so often, if at all! Luckily for people who are bothered by excessive hair, Albuquerque’s Western Dermatology Consultants offers some fast and effective in-office treatments that provide long-lasting results for this cosmetic condition—so you’ll no longer have to shave, pluck, or wax constantly to get the results you want!

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Explore laser treatments and other options for removing excessive hair at Albuquerque′s Western Dermatology Consultants. Give us a call at 505-855-9267 to request an appointment.

What Causes Unwanted, Excessive Hair Growth?

Although there are many parts of your body that may appear to be hairless—such as your earlobes or forehead—there are actually fine, short, translucent hairs on most areas of both men’s and women’s bodies. These are known as vellus hairs or “peach fuzz.” After puberty, stronger, longer hairs called terminal hairs begin to grow in on some areas. Androgens are the hormone responsible for body hair growth, and this is when males start to get facial hair and just about everybody starts to develop visible hair in the armpits, on the legs, and elsewhere.

Sometimes these coarse, darker terminal hairs grow in on areas where excessive hair is unwanted, whether that’s the face, underarms, arms, legs, chest, stomach, back, or bikini line. This excessive hair growth is usually harmless and isn’t considered to be a medical issue (unless it’s determined to be caused by an underlying health condition), but many people are self-conscious and choose to have the hair removed for cosmetic reasons.

Noticeable, excessive hair on women, which is referred to as hirsutism, may occur because of a health condition such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), adrenal hyperplasia, obesity, idiopathic hyperandrogenemia, tumors, or thyroid disorders. These illnesses all cause hormonal imbalances for women, leading to the creation of too many androgens. However, sometimes there is no known cause for the hair growth, and it might simply be genetic.

Learn how follicle phases impact treating excessive hair at Albuquerque’s Western Dermatology Consultants.

Every hair passes through three main life cycles: anagen, catagen, and telogen. The months-long anagen phase is a time of active growth and cell division—ideal for laser treatments that target darker-pigmented cells in the follicle. Catagen is a short phase of “preparation” when the hair bulb itself shrinks. After this, the hair enters a months-long telogen phase of rest, which ends after the hair itself falls out. Anagen starts again, with a new hair growing to replace the one that was just lost. In order to most effectively treat an area of excessive hair, Albuquerque’s Western Dermatology Consultants team will need to schedule multiple sessions, each spaced out in order to capture as many follicles as possible in the anagen phase.

Contact Us

There are better ways to manage excessive hair, which many Albuquerque patients find annoying on the face or body. Our team at Western Dermatology Consultants is equipped with solutions. Call 505-855-9267 or schedule a free consultation.

Treatment Options for Excessive Hair

Hair removal describes any method of removing excessive hair—or any hair, really—from the human body.

  • “Depilation” is one solution for excessive hair. Depilation affects the part of the hair above the surface of the skin. The most common form of depilation is shaving. Another popular option is the use of chemical depilatories, which work by breaking the disulfide bonds that link the protein chains that give hair its strength, making the hair disintegrate.
  • “Epilation” is removal of the entire hair, including the part below the skin. Some individuals may use waxing, sugaring, epilation devices, lasers, intense pulsed light or electrology, or basic plucking with tweezers to get rid of excessive hair.

If your excessive hair is caused by an underlying medical problem, your doctor may recommend hormonal management techniques.

Laser hair removal is a commonly applied cosmetic treatment that consists of using a highly concentrated wavelength of light that is absorbed by the pigment of the unwanted hair, is converted to heat, and destroys the follicles of the hair without harming the surrounding skin. This delays the growth of hair for long periods of time and can be used on almost any area of the body. This light-based method of hair removal is fast, precise, and has a predictable outcome.