Is excessive hair normal? 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.
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