Beginning as a health concern, shaving soon became fashionable, and common-place for women. Today we find ourselves shaving, plucking, depilitating, waxing, bleaching and praying away all of our body hair other than that on our heads and a slight covering of the pubic area. These days if women let their underarm hair grow then they may be labeled as a hippie or a feral. While many women feel embarrassed about their body hair, the pressure can be greater for the hirsute woman.
Hirsutism is the presence of excessive body or facial hair.
The condition varies from being mild and hardly noticeable to being obvious. Often hairiness runs in families, and is more or less common in certain cultures. Certain medications, such as anti-epilepsy drugs and some oral contraceptive pills, can cause it. Uncommonly, it can be due to a hormone imbalance, or to cysts or tumours of the ovaries or adrenal glands. These drugs, however, are not without side effects, and your doctor will discuss the risks of treatment and weigh them against any likely benefit.