Hair, Excess

Background

Excess facial and body hair in women is most often caused by elevated levels of the male hormone testosterone. Although you should see your physician to rule out other unusual causes, the most common cause is insulin resistance, often associated with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). Other causes of insulin resistance include excess sugar/sweet intake, being overweight, and inadequate exercise and sunshine (vitamin D).

The high testosterone can also trigger other problems including acne, irregular periods, weight gain, infertility, and ovarian cysts (although many people, even those with PCOS, do not have ovarian cysts).
Some common triggers for the elevated testosterone include:

  • Excess sugar in the diet.
  • Adrenal fatigue.
  • Menopause or peri-menopause (causes an increase in the ratio of estrogen to testosterone, which controls facial hair growth). Consider this if the problem began after you turned 42 years old. Supplementing with bioidentical estrogen can be helpful in reversing this.
  • Supplementation with testosterone or DHEA.

Treatments

Treatment often helps in many ways, including restoration of fertility. To start, be sure you are not taking any supplements with DHEA or testosterone, and cut out the excess sweets/sugar in your diet, especially sodas and fruit juices.

Natural Treatments

  • Eliminate sweets, which worsen the insulin resistance. Stevia is OK. See my book  Beat Sugar Addiction NOW for help with getting off sugar.
  • The supplement D-Chiro inositol (e.g., Chiral Balance DCI) 600 mg, 1 to 2 times a day, can lower elevated testosterone levels by over 70%.
  • Chromium 200 to 1,000 µg daily has a modest effect (200 µg should be present in a good multivitamin powder).
  • Weight loss and exercise. The weight loss is easier after you do the above.
  • Address any thyroid hormone deficiencies.

Medications

Metformin (prescription)

(500-1,000 mg 2x day) This is a very helpful and safe medication, and is so wonderful and safe I think it should be classified as an honorary natural supplement! The main concern is that it will cause B12 deficiency if not taking B12 along with it, so need to take an excellent powdered multivitamin that contains 500 µg of B12. In addition to helping the overall process, it very often restores fertility (and is both safe and healthy to take during the pregnancy). If needed the medication Clomid can also be added to induce ovulation.

Cortef  (prescription)

(Up to 15 mg a day if symptoms/labs are present, suggesting the need for adrenal support; e.g., irritable when hungry). Adrenal expert Professor William Jefferies routinely recommends ultra low dose cortef for PCOS. Half of a woman’s testosterone is made by the adrenal gland, and taking the Cortef decreases stimulation of the adrenal. Using a natural adrenal support product may also help. Especially worth considering if the ACTH blood test is in the upper half of the normal range.

I do not recommend Spironolactone in CFS or fIbromyalgia

Though the medication Spironolactone can help decrease excess facial hair growth in general in PCOS, this medication can severely flare symptoms in CFS/fibromyalgia patients, so I do not recommend it in this population. However, if you have no fatigue problems, then it’s OK to take this medication.

Other Medications

Birth control pills can help the menstrual irregularity if it persists despite the above. The progestin component of the pill should be cyproterone acetate (not available in the US) or drospirenone (Yasmin or Yaz in the US), as these inhibit testosterone. If over 42 years of age and no longer considering getting pregnant, consider using bioidentical estrogen and progesterone.

Procedures for Treatment

  • Epilation
  • Waxing
  • Shaving
  • Laser hair removal

See PCOS for more information.

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