Lawd Jesus…Is That What I Think It Is?

Facial Hair?!!!

Hello Golden Divas,

Please say it isn’t so…. I know I didn’t just look in the mirror and see facial hair. Is this another gift of combating more hair woes during menopause? I get the thinning of the hair on top of our heads but now the unwanted hair growth on top of my lip and under my chin. Uggghhhh!!!

I get it! I know this is all due to the hormonal shift that our bodies are experiencing…but REALLY….chin hair???

Ladies, as you may know, menopause ushers in many changes in our bodies. It’s bad enough that we get symptoms such as the dreaded hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings which can turn our lives upside down. However, menopause can also lead to some severe changes in our hair. Granted, while we no longer have our monthly periods and that is a welcome change. The “peach fuzz,” on the upper lip or chin, or dark, wiry, hairs on the chin that proliferate is not a welcoming change either through this stage in our lives.

Troubling as it may be ladies, sprouting sparse facial hair after menopause is not unusual, and there are several treatment options available that should help improve this problem.

So what’s a Golden Diva to Do When It Comes to Unwanted Facial Hair?

Well, first let’s delve into the culprit of this new hairy unattractive change to our face.

Symptom

There are several types of human hair, all produced by hair follicles. Women of all ages have abundant hair follicles on their faces, and these usually produce soft hairs that are generally unnoticeable. But around the time of menopause and after that, you might notice some coarse hairs growing on your face — usually on your chin or upper lip. These hairs, known as terminal hairs, develop because of changes in the levels of male and female hormones in your body associated with menopause. 

Cause

During your childbearing years, your ovaries produce large amounts of the female hormone estrogen as well as a small amount of the male hormone testosterone. When menopause arrives, your ovaries’ production of estrogen drops considerably, but small amounts of testosterone continue to be made for several years. Your adrenal glands also produce small amounts of male hormones throughout your life. Therefore, menopause tips the balance between your male and female sex hormone levels. This relative excess of male hormones can trigger the growth of sparse, coarse facial hair.

Prevalence

An article published in the March 2011 issue of the “British Journal of Dermatology” reported that in a group of post-menopausal women aged 45 or older, 39 percent experienced excess growth of facial hair, mostly on the chin. Another October 2009 study report published in “Menopausal Health” noted that among a group of 656 American women aged 50 to 79, extra hair — almost exclusively on the face — was present in 33 percent of women aged 50 to 59, and 54 percent of women 60 to 69. The researchers found no significant differences in facial hair growth between Caucasian and African-American women.

What to Do

It’s easier to remove the hairs you don’t want than it is to make hair grow where you do want it. Luckily, women have a host of ways to get rid of unwanted hair:

Here are some other ways to keep the facial hairs at bay!

• Try to prevent it with the Pill if you’re pre- or perimenopausal. Taking birth control pills before you’re going through menopause can help prevent facial hair growth, Polan says.
• Go with the simple old stand-bys — tweezing, bleaching, and waxing. If you don’t have a lot of unwanted facial hair, you can probably spend a little bit of time removing it yourself with a pair of tweezers or by waxing the hair away.
• Another option is to bleach the hairs on your face with an over-the-counter face and body cream bleach kit.
• Try a prescription cream. The topical cream eflornithine (Vaniqa) slows the growth of facial hair. If facial hair is bothering you, it may be worth a try, Polan says. You’ll need to ask your doctor for a prescription, and it may take four to eight weeks to see results.
• Laser them away. A dermatologist can remove facial hair by using a laser to damage the hair follicle and slow down hair growth. But this technique works best on dark hairs and is less useful for blonde or peach-fuzz type hair growth.

Warning

The gradual growth of sparse facial hair after menopause is not a threat to your health. However, the development of a lot of facial and body hair relatively quickly might signal a medical problem. For example, a disorder called Cushing syndrome causes the adrenal glands to secrete too much male hormone. Testosterone-producing tumors of the ovary or adrenal gland can also cause excess hair growth. These conditions are rare and may develop at any time, including after menopause. See your doctor as soon as possible if you notice the sudden or extensive growth of facial or body hair.

Every woman will approach thinning hair and facial hair differently. For some, it’s no big deal, while others want to try to find useful fixes. Whatever camp you fall in, know it’s a standard part of aging and menopause, and talk to your doctor about your options.

Golden Divas I genuinely hope this helps, because I know without a doubt that the extra hairs on our faces are NOT considered cute or a fashion statement. It’s just not pretty, and it has to go!!!

Sources:

https://www.everydayhealth.com/menopause/combating-hair-woes-during-menopause.aspx

 https://www.livestrong.com/article/90101-facial-hair-remover-cream-women/