Amarachi Okeh
A dermatologist and senior registrar at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Dr. Obuneke Ezeanyaeche, says unsupervised use of birth control pills in treating hirsutism is dangerous.
Experts describe hirsutism as “unwanted male-pattern hair growth on a woman’s face, chest and back.”
Hirsutism can result from excess male hormones, called androgens. This may occur with certain medical conditions. It may also be inherited.
Hirsutism results in excessive amounts of stiff and pigmented hair on body areas where men typically grow hair, including the face, chest and back.
Hirsutism is treated with medication. And hair can also be removed with electrolysis or laser therapy.
Speaking with PUNCH HealthWise, the senior registrar said that birth control pills cannot be used to treat all cases of excessive hair growth in women as the causes differ, hence the need for different treatments for different cases.
On the use of contraceptive pills to treat hirsutism, the doctor said that the treatment of hirsutism depends on the cause, noting, however, that birth control pills can be used to treat excessive hair growth caused by polycystic ovarian syndrome.
“For patients who have hirsutism caused by polycystic ovarian syndrome, birth control pills can be used to treat it.”
“The use of birth control pills can cause hormonal imbalance, so, I will advise it has to be prescribed by a health practitioner.
“And birth control pills, no matter how people see it, are serious drugs. It has different side effects,” Ezeanyaeche warned.
Describing how birth control pills work in treating the excess hair growth, she said, “Some women have more male hormones than normal; so, the use of birth control pills help balance out the hormones.”
She, however, stressed that there are different causes of hirsutism, hence the self-prescribed use of birth control pills is not advisable as the cause of the excessive hair may differ in different women.
Speaking on the cause of this excessive hair growth, the doctor said that hirsutism is just excess hair growth but there are many things that can cause it. “The underlying factor is hormonal imbalance,” Ezeanyaeche said.
Continuing, she said that the commonest causes of this excessive hair growth in women are polycystic ovarian syndrome, Cushing Syndrome, idiopathic hirsutism — meaning that the cause of the hair growth is unknown.
She also noted that there is drug-induced hirsutism.
The presence of tumours in the adrenal gland as well as the ovaries can also cause hirsutism, the doctor further added.
Expert also have found that the drugs that could cause excessive hair growth in women are androgens, glucocorticosteroids, progestins, estrogen antagonists (clomiphene, tamoxifen), minoxidil, cyclosporine, danazol, diazoxide, phenytoin, D-penicillamine, and interferon.
Speaking on ways to manage simple idiopathic hirsutism, the dermatologist said shaving, waxing, laser treatment as well as chemical hair removal can be used.
She advised women experiencing excessive hair growth to visit a hospital for proper diagnosis and treatment.
“If someone has hirsutism, especially if it is a new onset of hirsutism, please go to the doctor for proper evaluation,” Ezeanyaeche pleaded.
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President Muhammadu Buhari has taken the second dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at the State House, Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that president’s personal physician, Dr Suhayb Rafidadi, administered the vaccine on the president at his official residence, State House, Abuja on Saturday.
Buhari had received the first jab of the vaccination on March 6 where he was presented with his COVID-19 vaccination card by officials of the Federal Ministry of Health, who supervised the exercise.
The President is the ECOWAS Champion on the Fight against COVID-19.
Meanwhile, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) had disclosed that 1,945, 273 eligible Nigerians had so far taken the first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
It also said that 22,162 of Nigerians vaccinated with the first dose had also taken the second dose.
NAN reports that Nigeria has so far received over 3.92 million doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines delivered under the international Covax scheme. (NAN)
SYC/MNA
