LET’S DISCUSS A HAIRY SUBJECT.... Super excited to contribute to this article on @eatthisnotthat regarding body hair (check out link in bio for full article)! Did you know, there are two main types of body hair: HYPERTRICHOSIS and HIRSUTISM. ⁣ ⁣ HYPERTRICHOSIS - excess body hair with often an unknown cause. However, there is congenital hypertrichosis which may be due to a spontaneous genetic mutation. Other acquired forms may be associated with various conditions like certain medications, malnutrition, underlying malignancy, or porphyria cutanea tarda. It is not known why these conditions trigger excessive hair growth. Excess hair growth is defined as that above what is normal for age, sex, or race of a person. ⁣ ⁣ HIRSUTISM - Increased body hair in a male pattern distribution in women is called hirsutism and is hormonally driven. ⁣ ⁣ People who have malnutrition such as those who suffer from anorexia, those taking certain medications (such as androgenic steroids, phenytoin, cyclosporin), those with porphyria cutanea tarda, or those with cancer.⁣ ⁣ A FEW WAYS TO REMOVE BODY HAIR: ⁣ ⁣ 1️⃣Topical eflornithine can help decrease facial hair. It can take 8 weeks of twice daily use to see improvement. It slows the growth of facial hair.⁣ ⁣ 2️⃣Laser hair reduction - Selectively delivers energy to a hair follicle, specifically the bulge region which houses the follicle stem cells. Multiple treatment sessions are needed to achieve desired results. This is also not permanent, and often needs repeat treatments over time for maintenance.⁣ ⁣ 3️⃣Tweezers, waxing, shaving, threading - well known modalities. ⁣ ⁣ 4️⃣Spironolactone- This can be helpful for women with hirsutism as it decreases the levels of total testosterone. It takes at least 6 months to see the best effects.⁣ Questions? 👇 ⁣ #hairy #hairgrowth #hirsutism #hypertrichosis #boardcertifieddermatologist #skindrreed #dermatology #austintexas #austindermatologist #hairexpert #hair