Index
Abnormal Hair Growth
Hypertrichosis is the excessive growth of hair above average for an individual’s age, sex, and race, in contrast to Hirsutism, which is the excess hair growth in women following a male distribution pattern.
Hypertrichosis can develop throughout the body or can be isolated to small patches. Hypertrichosis can be congenital (present at birth) or acquired (it arises later in life).
Hypertrichosis is classified as congenital or acquired and regional or generalized.
Excessive hair can cause cosmetic embarrassment, resulting in a significant emotional load, mainly if it is widespread throughout the body.
Treatment options are limited, and therapy results are not always satisfactory.
Therefore, patients should be adequately informed of the treatment modalities for temporary or permanent hair removal.
No single hair removal method is appropriate for all body parts or patients. The one adopted will depend on the character, area, amount of hair growth, and the patient’s age and personal preferences.
Types
Terminal Congenital Hypertrichosis
It is the variation that most people associate with the condition. This version involves all the growth of body hair.
Interestingly, this form of hypertrichosis is almost always associated with gingival hyperplasia – which means that these “wild and vicious” werewolves often have very few teeth.
Hypertrichosis Naevoide
Naevoid hypertrichosis is unusual hypertrichosis where a solitary circumscribed area of hair growth occurs.
It is not usually associated with other diseases, except if it appears as a faunal tail on the lower back, it may indicate an underlying spina bifida.
Naevoid hypertrichosis can occur at birth or appear later in life, and the symptoms can vary from hairy ears and tail to a pronounced unique or excessive beard growth in females and males alike.
Congenital Hypertrichosis lanuginosa
Finally, congenital lanuginosa hypertrichosis is a sporadic form of hypertrichosis, with only about 50 cases reported worldwide since the Middle Ages.
Available treatment methods include cosmetic procedures (whitening, trimming, shaving, waxing, chemical depilatories, and electro-surgical hair removal) and depilation with light and laser sources.
Laser-assisted hair removal is the most effective long-term hair removal method currently available.
The lack of comparative data makes it challenging to choose the most effective system to end this condition; however, the color contrast between the epidermis and the hair will determine the type of laser.
A new treatment to reduce excessive hair growth is topical eflornithine, an inhibitor of the enzyme ornithine decarboxylase present in hair follicles that is important in hair growth.
In general, the treatment of hypertrichosis is more satisfactory for patients with localized involvement than for those with generalized hypertrichosis.
What causes it?
The cause of hypertrichosis is unknown. It is believed that congenital hypertrichosis is an inherited genetic disorder that occurs due to a spontaneous mutation.
Acquired lanuginous hypertrichosis sometimes occurs in people who, at a later stage, are diagnosed with cancer in some way.
This hair growth, also known as malignant, is often limited to the face with long, silky hair visible on the nose and eyelids, usually hairless sites.
It is not known why cancer causes this excessive hair growth.
Generalized acquired hypertrichosis may be associated with:
- Late cutaneous porphyria.
- Malnutrition, for example, anorexia nervosa.
- Drugs, for example, cyclosporine, phenytoin, androgenic steroids, and minoxidil.
Localized acquired hypertrichosis may be associated with:
- Increase of vascularization.
- Repeat rubbing or scraping (simple lichen).
- Plaster application (temporary).
- Repeated application of minoxidil, potent topical steroid, iodine, and psoralens (topical PUVA).
- The trichomegaly.
Treatment
Various treatment methods such as chemical peeling, electrolysis, and laser therapy. Waxing and simply shaving are the cheapest method of treating hypertrichosis.
All the above methods are based on the cosmetic approach and therefore are not covered by medical insurance. Having too much hair on your face and other areas can affect self-esteem and confidence.
It can cause embarrassment for the affected person and restrict them from participating in outdoor activities.
In hypertrichosis, no method is effective. In general, combining one or more processes can give positive results. Before deciding about treating it, your doctor would consider several factors, such as the nature of the growth, the site of hair growth, and the intensity of hair growth.
Many patients with hypertrichosis widely prefer laser therapy since the results are promising, and the hair can be permanently removed. Other methods such as waxing, shaving, and chemical hair removal have to be repeated from time to time.
Hair whitening In theory, it is a reasonably reliable treatment. However, there is a risk of reaction and irritation caused by not performing an allergy test before starting with this treatment method.
Depilation with ointments and creams weakens the hair at the skin level. The shaver can be avoided; however, this method can cause skin level irritation. A strong odor is familiar in creams with thiols as a base—a test to rule out allergies before use is highly recommended.
The diathermy or electrolysis can weaken and destroy the hair follicles by inserting water into each follicle and applying an electric current.
One of its contraindications to the pain of this treatment and its cost, and its progress is usually relatively slow compared to laser hair removal. A professional must perform this treatment to avoid long-term scars.
Laser hair removal is one of the best therapies to treat this condition, being the best option to eliminate body hair. Something costly, but it is worth it, and it should be done with the vigilance of a professional doctor. Some of its side effects are scars, redness of the area, and changes in skin tones.
