Curly, unruly, fast-growing. For women, chin hair is normal. But when might it signal a health issue?
Humans are hairy, and sometimes that hair pops up in places we’d rather it didn’t. Consider unruly chin hair, which is something most women deal with — much to their annoyance. “Why did no one tell you when you get older your one chin hair is going to bring, like, four other friends to the party?!” one woman vented in a TikTok last year. “The amount of time I spend plucking my chin hair is beyond me,” another TikToker complained, “Laser doesn’t work, shaving doesn’t work. What works? I need assistance!”
Not even movie stars are immune. For her role in the upcoming film Nightbitch, actress Amy Adams stopped plucking her stray chin hairs to help her get into character as a harried mom who transforms into a dog. “The hair on the face — that was mine,” Adams told Variety. “I saw it as a wonderful expression of the human experience without any artifice or filters. Or tweezers!”
Long story short: Chin hair is common. But why do women get it, and why does it seem to get more out of control with age? And what sort of underlying health issues could be contributing to your hair growth? Here’s what to know.
What causes women to get chin hair?
First, let’s talk about two different types of hair. That peach fuzz on your face is called vellus hair, which also covers the body. The thicker, coarser, darker hair that comprises your eyebrows, eyelashes, head hair and other body hair is called terminal hair — and that’s typically what people target with their tweezers.
Androgens are what cause thicker, darker hair, Dr. Bruce Dorr, an ob-gyn and menopause and hormone health specialist, tells Yahoo Life.
Androgens are a group of sex hormones that help with puberty and reproductive development. While testosterone — the most prominent of this hormone type — is typically associated with men, all people make testosterone in their bodies, as it aids in things such as bone density, muscle development and puberty. Women make testosterone from their ovaries, which is then converted to estrogen, Dorr explains. This helps kick off the menstrual cycle and leads to the growth of underarm and pubic hair.
Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is an androgen derived from testosterone, and it can have a strong effect on hair growth, says Dorr. DHT stimulates hair follicle growth in areas more responsive to androgens, like the chin. Some women naturally have more sensitive DHT receptors, meaning that even normal hormone levels may stimulate increased facial hair growth. According to Dorr, that’s due to genetics and nothing to worry about, though it may be annoying.
What else might be contributing to chin hair growth?
Outside of normal hormonal changes and genetics, there are some health issues that may lead to hirsutism, a condition leading to excessive hair growth, which may crop up on the chin, upper lip, chest, stomach or back. Hirsutism affects 5 to 10% of women of reproductive age, according to the Cleveland Clinic, and can be caused by:
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
One potential culprit of chin hair is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which impacts around 8 to 13% of women of child-bearing age. With PCOS, women may not ovulate regularly, which means estrogen “builds up and up and up,” Dorr explains. This hormonal imbalance can result in increased testosterone and, ultimately, more DHT.
As PCOS is difficult to diagnose and treat, it’s possible for women to only become aware of a problem thanks to chin hair growth or other excess facial or body hair. Other symptoms include acne, hair loss, weight gain and insulin resistance.
Menopause
Many women say that they’ve seen more chin hair as they get older. Typically, this is a result of perimenopause and menopause, during which estrogen levels are reduced and androgens like testosterone become more dominant.
Weight gain or loss
Significant weight gain can throw off hormone levels, as can an extreme drop in weight. With the latter, a person with an eating disorder may develop lanugo — soft, thin hair — as the body works to keep itself warm.
Cushing syndrome
Cushing syndrome, a disorder in which people make too much of the stress hormone cortisol, can also cause this excess hair. This is because elevated cortisol levels increase androgen production, which stimulates hair growth.
Late-onset congenital adrenal hyperplasia
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia is a condition in which the adrenal glands produce too little cortisol and an excess of androgens. In women, this can lead to symptoms such as a deeper voice, acne and excess facial hair.
Medications
Medications that may cause excessive hair growth include anabolic steroids, testosterone, cyclosporine (Sandimmune), minoxidil (Rogaine), danazol (Danocrine) and phenytoin (Dilantin?), per the Cleveland Clinic.
Androgen-secreting tumor
Though rare, an androgen-secreting tumor (typically found in the adrenal glands or ovaries) may lead to excess hair growth. Other symptoms of this tumor may include a deeper voice and acne.
What can we do about chin hair?
If you struggle with chin hair, your first step should be to ask why. Dr. Alyssa Dweck, a gynecologist and chief medical officer of supplement company Bonafide Health, tells Yahoo Life that if chin hair is “excessive or rapid in onset,” it may be worth seeking medical care — including blood work — in order to rule out conditions that may cause facial growth. She notes that management of the underlying condition, such as PCOS, is “crucial” for addressing ongoing chin hair issues.
But regardless of what causes your chin hair, you don’t have to have it if you don’t want to, says Dr. Ross Kopelman, a hair transplant specialist and facial plastic surgeon. He says that there are several medical interventions one can undergo in order to manage chin hair.
“I often recommend a combination approach depending on the individual’s needs,” he says. “Prescription creams like eflornithine can help slow hair growth, while hormonal treatments, such as birth control pills or anti-androgens like spironolactone, can address the root cause of excess hair.”
There are aesthetic interventions one can take to remove chin hair. Tweezing, threading, waxing and shaving are options, but they’re not permanent; you’ll have to groom regularly, as hair will return.
Dr. Gabriela Soza, a dermatologist at PFRANKMD by Dr. Paul Jarrod Frank, tells Yahoo Life that laser hair can be an effective treatment for chin hair, as long as “the hairs are pigmented” — aka brown or black, not “blonde, white or gray.” Laser hair removal targets the pigment in the hair follicles, so darker hairs absorb the laser light more effectively. It’s also not a one-and-done treatment: multiple sessions must be done over a span of weeks in order to zap away chin hair, and it’s possible for it to return over time and for maintenance sessions to be required.
Electrolysis, meanwhile, uses fine needles or wires to kill the hair follicle, ensuring that no hair can grow from it ever again. It works on all hair colors and types, making it effective for fine or light-colored hairs that lasers may not effectively treat, and it’s the only treatment for permanent hair removal approved by the Food and Drug Administration. However, you will still need multiple cycles to get rid of all your unwanted hair.
The bottom line
If it bothers you, you don’t have to live with chin hair — there are permanent and temporary solutions to reduce it.
Still, it’s worth noting that there’s nothing inherently wrong, or even uncommon, about women with chin hair — many will see it as they get into perimenopause, if not earlier. But if you’re struggling with new or unusual chin hair growth — especially if it comes with a host of other symptoms — your best bet is to seek out medical assistance to make sure all is OK.