Whilst hirsutism itself is not a serious medical condition, it may well be the symptom of an underlying cause for concern, especially in those who develop hirsutism some time after puberty.
This article gives a brief explanation of hirsutism, possible causes and how it is measured, an outline of how electrolysis works for hair removal and looks at 2 medical studies concerning the use and efficacy of electrolysis for hirsute women.
Electrolysis for Hirsutism
HirsutismEffectThe Ferriman-Gallway ScoreCausePCOSCautionary NoteTreatmentElectrolysisWhat is it?Does is Work for Hirsutism
Clinical EvidenceHirsutism - Evidence Based Treatment UpdateComparative Study of Hair Removal at NHS Hospital: Luminette IPL v ElectrolysisConclusionMore InformationSources
Hirsutism
Prior to puberty, the human body is covered in very fine, vellus hair. This is replaced during puberty in certain parts of the body by thick, long, darker hair known as terminal hair.
This is due to increased levels of androgenic hormones, which control the development of male characteristics. Typically, men will develop terminal hair in more areas than women but in hirsute women, this is not the case.
Effect
Hirsutism, the excessive hairiness of women following a male pattern of body hair e.g. on beard, chest or back, can have psychological effects which can be devastating to a woman's confidence and self-esteem.
The Ferriman-Gallway Score
First published in 1961, the Ferriman-Galway Score is the method used to evaluate and assess the level of terminal hair growth in hirsute women.
The original method has been modified and further developed over the years and currently includes assessment of 19 locations of the body:
- Upper Lip
- Upper Back
- Fingers
- Upper Abdomen
- Foot
- Sideburns
- Thighs
- Chin
- Lower Back
- Inguinal Area
- Lower Abdomen
- Toes
- Neck
- Chest
- Leg
- Upper Arms
- Forearm
- Perianal Area
- Buttocks
The terminal hair growth in each area is rated on a scale of 0 - 4. Each area has its own specified definition on the scale. The sum of the scores determine the level of hirsutism.
Cause
For the purposes of this article, the most important point to note is that, if you are a woman with unusual and excessive hair growth you must seek proper medical advice from your physician prior to any hair removal treatment being considered.
PCOS
Polycystic Ovary SyndromePCOS
The main symptom of PCOS is usually the appearance of small and multiple cysts on the ovaries, but this is not always the case.
The other main symptoms of PCOS (apart from hirsutism) are:- irregular periods, weight gain / difficulty losing weight, insulin resistance and acne.
Cautionary Note
There are, in addition, a number of other possible underlying conditions leading to hirsutism, all of which require proper medical tests and diagnosis by your physician.
Electrolysis
What is it?
Briefly, there a 3 types of electrolysis; galvanic, thermolysis and blend (a combination of the other two).
Nowadays, the thermolysis or blend methods are most commonly used as they are quicker and more advanced than the older, galvanic method.
Electrolysis, whatever the method, works by passing a small amount of energy into each hair follicle via a very fine needle, in order to disable the follicle, and cause the hair to fall out.
The ultimate aim is to cause permanent damage to the follicle and thus prevent re-growth of the hair.
In a nutshell, the difference between the galvanic method and thermolysis is that galvanic uses electrical current, whilst thermolysis uses radio energy.
Does is Work for Hirsutism?
Evidence supports the use of electrolysis for permanent hair removal in localised areas, with repeat treatments achieving from 15% - 50% permanent hair loss.
The biggest problem with electrolysis is that it treats individual hairs and is therefore very time-consuming, prohibitively expensive and likely to be impractical for larger areas such as the back.
We have looked at two clinical studies concerning electrolysis for hirsute women, to try to ascertain efficacy levels.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is fair to say that available written evidence including the two studies outlined, although limited, does support the use of electrolysis for hair removal. as part of a larger treatment programme, for small, localized areas.
For larger areas, laser treatment can be used to achieve permanent hair reduction.
Any treatment will be long-term and probably lifelong.
Sources
- Wikipedia
- Comparative Study: Luminette IPL v Electrolysis
- Hirsutism - Evidence based treatment updatte
