If a person AFAB has high androgen levels or their hair follicles are more sensitive to androgens, they may develop hirsutism. All people have androgens, but men and people AMAB make more of them. However, several conditions cause hirsutism, including: In many cases, hirsutism doesn’t have a known cause. For example, hair may grow thicker and coarser on your face, chest, back, lower abdomen, upper arms or lower legs. Hirsutism causes thick, coarse, dark hair to grow on parts of your body that would commonly grow as fine, thin hair. Some of the secondary sex characteristics you may develop from virilization include: Men and people AMAB make more androgens than women and people AFAB. Androgens are a group of sex hormones that help people enter puberty and mature physically. Virilization occurs when your androgen levels are high. Virilization is a condition in which you develop the secondary sex characteristics of men and people AMAB. The main symptom of hirsutism is dark hair growth.Īnother symptom of hirsutism is virilization. You may experience emotional stress, anxiety and depression. However, it can affect you psychosocially (how society and social groups affect your thoughts and emotions) and psychologically (how you think about yourself and your behavior). Hirsutism doesn’t affect your physical health. It affects over 40% of women and AFAB at some point during their lives. Hirsutism affects 5% to 10% of women and people AFAB who are around child-bearing age. If it does, it’s typically a sign of early puberty. You’re also more likely to have hirsutism if you’re Mediterranean, Hispanic, South Asian or Middle Eastern. Obesity can also increase your chances of having hirsutism. You’re more likely to have hirsutism if you have a family history of conditions that cause it, especially polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and congenital adrenal hyperplasia. It can affect men and people assigned male at birth (AMAB), but it’s difficult to tell the difference between hirsutism and typical thick, dark, long hair growth (terminal hair). Hirsutism mainly affects women and people AFAB.

Hirsutism can cause distress, but it’s treatable. You may develop coarse, dark hair growth on your upper lip, chin, chest, abdomen or back instead of the fine hair sometimes referred to as “ peach fuzz” that commonly grows in those areas. It primarily affects women and people assigned female at birth (AFAB). Hirsutism is a common condition that causes excessive hair growth. Hirsutism causes thick, dark hair to grow in areas that typically grow fine, light hair.

Overactive adrenal glands in adults