Is facial hair on lips and chin, common in post-menopause? What can I do to cure it?
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Hello, I am a 48 years old female. I haven’t had my period for two years. My doctor said it was because of menopause. I wanted to ask is it common to have facial hair on lips and chin post-menopause? I have coarse hair on my chin. What can I do to cure it? Any suggestions?
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@ilina Hello, Your hormone levels shift periodically and throughout your life because of aging, weight gain, and other factors, including pregnancy and menopause. Just like men, women have hair follicles all over their faces. However, for most women, these follicles grow tiny, soft hairs that are barely noticeable. During menopause, a woman’s body stops circulating estrogen but continues to circulate the same amounts of testosterone. The imbalance of hormones causes the appearance of some male secondary sex characteristics, like coarse facial hair. You should let your doctor know if your facial and body hairs are growing quickly. This might signal a more serious medical condition. Tumors of the ovaries or adrenal glands that produce testosterone could be stimulating your hair growth, or you may have Cushing syndrome, a disease in which the adrenal glands secrete excessive male hormones, resulting in excess hair growth. There’s nothing wrong or unhealthy about growing sparse facial hair. There’s nothing dangerous about a few extra chin hairs, after all. But if it bothers you, there are things you can do to remove the hair or minimize its appearance. It is understandable that some women won’t welcome this change in appearance. Waxing, shaving, and tweezing are perfectly acceptable ways to deal with unwanted hairs. Based on the degree of growth, plucking, tweezing, threading, or waxing may do the trick. Your doctor can also prescribe a topical cream to slow the growth or refer you to a clinic that can perform electrolysis or laser treatment for hair removal.