Why do many women grow hair on their chins with age?

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Why do many women grow hair on their chins with age?

If the hairs disturb, they can be plucked away with a clear conscience: They do not grow back any darker.

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Many women experience a surprise as they get older: darker hair suddenly sprouts on their chin. What is behind it – and why there is nothing to worry about.

Hair on the face – not only men have that. Women also grow hairs on their cheeks, upper lip and chin. Usually these are rather fine and barely visible. But that can change with increasing age: In many women, longer, darker hair suddenly sprouts, especially on the chin. Why is that?

There is a simple, biological cause behind the observation. It is therefore normal for the hair on the face to sprout more over the years. With increasing age, the hormonal balance changes and it can happen that the body produces more male hormones, so-called androgens. These messenger substances can stimulate hair follicles on the face, from which until now rather fine hairs have grown, to form thicker hair.

Mix of hormones and genes causes chin hair to sprout

However: not every woman has to struggle with chin hair at an advanced age. A certain genetic predisposition also plays a role, reports dermatologist Angela Lamb in an interview with the “New York Times”. The best way to find out whether there is such a predisposition is by talking to your own mother or grandmother: If they have also developed chin hair over the years, there is a high probability that the thicker hairs will one day sprout on you too.

If the hair is perceived as annoying, women can remove it – for example with tweezers, with wax or the so-called thread technique. Worries that hair will grow back thicker after hair removal are unfounded. It is a “myth”, emphasizes the doctor.

In fact, the opposite is the case: waxing or plucking can even help reduce hair growth, as the hair follicles can be damaged if removed, says Lamb. Under certain circumstances, these then even stop hair growth.

When to the doctor

If an unusually large amount of hair sprouts on the face, as well as on other parts of the body such as the stomach, chest or the inner thighs, a visit to the doctor is still useful. In such a case, doctors speak of hirsutism – i.e. thick body hair in places that are usually more hairy in men.

Care and lifestyle

Preventing premature aging: The seven best tips for healthy skin


Prevent premature aging of the skin: Cleanse the skin

Prevent premature aging of the skin: Cleanse the skin

Make-up and tinted day cream should be removed from the skin in the evening – otherwise the make-up residue can irritate the sensitive skin on the face. But even if you don’t use make-up, you should use cleansing milk or lotion every day. The reason: There are indications that the skin ages prematurely due to harmful environmental influences such as fine dust or soot from diesel engines. During the day, these finest particles can settle on the skin.
Here’s how you can prevent it: Gently and thoroughly cleanse your face in the evening before bed. pH-neutral products are particularly recommended for dry and sensitive skin.

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Hirsutism can occur for no apparent cause or it can be a side effect of certain medications such as cortisone. An underlying disease may also play a role, such as a hormonal disorder or so-called polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). In such a case, a visit to the doctor helps to investigate the cause of the unusually strong hair growth.

Thicker hairs on the chin, which appear over the years, are one thing above all: completely normal.

Source used: New York Times

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