Coping with unwanted facial hair can be more than a cosmetic nuisance.
Although it is a fairly common condition, unwanted facial hair remains a social taboo that can cause women anxiety, embarrassment and even contribute to psychological distress.
Many women feel too embarrassed to discuss their unwanted facial hair, even with close friends. But rest assured, if you have unwanted facial hair, you are not alone. Estimates indicate that approximately 40% of women report having some degree of unwanted facial hair. It can occur at any age and in people of all races and skin types.
Should you seek help for your unwanted facial hair?
All women have some facial hair. But is your facial hair worth seeing a doctor about? To help you answer that question, The Skin Academy - an interdisciplinary team of experts - has developed the following quiz:
Consider the five questions below:
| • | Does your unwanted hair growth interfere with your daily life? |
| • | Do you check your hair growth in the mirror more often than before? |
| • | In the last few weeks, have you felt that other people are looking at your excessive hair growth more often? |
| • | Does your unwanted hair growth sometimes make you feel sad, or are you worried about it? |
| • | Are you very keen to reduce your unwanted hair growth? |
If you answered ‘yes’ to at least three of these questions, you should talk about this to your doctor.
A real problem
Aside from the inconvenience, research has also found that unwanted facial hair can have a significant impact on a woman’s quality of life.
While some may think of it as a cosmetic matter, unwanted facial hair is a very real problem for many women. It has both physical and psychological effects that can reduce a woman’s confidence and self-esteem.
Studies reveal that the negative effects of unwanted facial hair include:
| • | Increased anxiety |
| • | Depression |
| • | Self-consciousness and embarrassment |
| • | Diminished self-confidence |
| • | Body dissatisfaction |
Here is what other women say about their unwanted facial hair
“My facial hair makes me feel unfeminine.”
“You feel dirty with hair. That’s the only way to describe it.”
“I just want to feel female. I just want to feel pretty. I just want to feel normal and I don’t.”
“I spent a lot of money on my skin, special skin preparations to cover the areas ... but in my private life, at home, I still feel bad about it.”
“I feel that people are looking at my upper lip ... I start covering my face.”
“I dread the summer and the lighter nights.”
