It is easy to see that men have moustaches and beards, but women's faces cannot boast of this. Such are the features of sexual dimorphism — this term is called in science Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior, Second Edition, Four Volume, Academic Press differences between females and males of the same species.
But some women still have facial hair, although it is usually not so thick. And she gives them a lot of trouble. One British study in 2006 showed M. G. Lipton, L. Sherr. Women living with facial hair: the psychological and behavioral burden / Journal of Psychosomatic Research that women with facial hair spend an average of 104 minutes per week removing them. At the same time, 30% of the respondents showed signs of depression and high emotional stress, they reported problems in their social life and relationships.
In general, the difficulties mustache cause a lot. But why do they appear at all?
In fact, technically, women are as hairy as men and monkeys.
People of both sexes have a density of Y. G. Kamberov, S. M. Guhan. Comparative evidence for the independent evolution of hair and sweat gland traits in primates / Journal of Human Evolution The follicles per centimeter of skin are the same as in humanoid primates — gorillas and chimpanzees, although smaller than in macaques. And like monkeys, we have about 5 million hair follicles scattered over the surface of our body.
However, over the course of evolution, human body hair has become thin and colorless, turning into a so-called peach fuzz. The fact is that our ancestors were hunted hunters who used to chase all kinds of antelopes on foot for many days — until the animal falls down from fatigue.
And creatures who have chosen this method of food extraction require an effective cooling method Human locomotion and heat loss: an evolutionary perspective / D. E. Lieberman . Therefore, man got rid of thick hair, like that of monkeys, in order to sweat more effectively during a long walk and run.
The work of human hair follicles depends on male sex hormones — androgens. First of all, testosterone and its derivatives, especially dihydrotestosterone. Men have more androgens, so their hair is thicker. This is related to D. A. Puts. Beauty and the beast: mechanisms of sexual selection in humans / Evolution and Human Behavior with sexual selection: scientists have found that most women find hairy and bearded men more attractive.
Women have fewer androgens and more estrogens, so their body hair is inferior in density and thickness to men's. This, again, is due to sexual selection: ladies without noticeable hair on their face and body liked our ancestors more and left offspring more often.
However, in some women, the hormonal balance is disrupted for various reasons, and they may get moustaches and sideburns. Although they are usually not as impressive as men's.
This phenomenon is called hirsutism (from Latin. hirsutus — "hairy"). According to statistics R. L. Barbieri, D. A. Ehrmann. Pathophysiology and causes of hirsutism / UpToDate , it affects from 5 to 10% of women of reproductive age.
The most common cause of hirsutism is called R. L. Barbieri, D. A. Ehrmann. Pathophysiology and causes of hirsutism / UpToDate hormonal imbalance associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Due to the excess of androgens, male-type hair loss begins in patients: on the face, as well as in the lower abdomen and on the back. In this case, the hair on the head, on the contrary, may thin out. In addition, women with hirsutism suffer from acne and menstrual irregularities, experience pelvic pain and difficulty trying to get pregnant.
In addition to polycystic ovary syndrome, there are more exotic causes — they account for R. L. Barbieri, D. A. Ehrmann. Pathophysiology and causes of hirsutism / UpToDate only 2.3% of hirsutism cases. These are congenital adrenal hyperplasia, ovarian tumor, prolactinoma, acromegaly, virilizing adrenal carcinoma and Cushing's syndrome.
Some medications can also R. L. Barbieri, D. A. Ehrmann. Pathophysiology and causes of hirsutism / UpToDate to make a woman become more hairy than prescribed by nature. These include minoxidil P. R. Chellini. Generalized Hypertrichosis Induced by Topical Minoxidil in an Adult Woman / International Journal of Trichology is a remedy for the treatment of high blood pressure and hair loss. Or hormonal drugs S. Sachdeva. Hirsutism: Evaluation and treatment / Indian Journal of Dermatology : testosterone, anabolic steroids and androgenic progestins. If you drink something like this and notice abnormal hair growth, stop taking your medication and consult your doctor immediately.
In addition, sometimes an excess of vegetation can also be associated with R. L. Barbieri, D. A. Ehrmann. Pathophysiology and causes of hirsutism / UpToDate with ethnicity. During the examination, doctors evaluate the hair loss of patients on the so-called Ferriman-Gallouy scale. And women from the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and Hispanic countries tend to have higher rates than women from East Asia or Native Americans.
If you have read all of the above and are horrified, we hasten to reassure you. Unwanted hair on the face is annoying to one degree or another U. Blume-Peytavi. Unwanted Facial Hair: Affects, Effects and Solutions / Dermatology 40% of women in the world. And the presence of a noticeable gun over your upper lip is not a reason to suspect yourself of hirsutism and related terrible diseases.
If you think that the facial hair is too distinguishable, before you sign up for laser hair removal, contact an endocrinologist. He will conduct an examination and, if a hormonal imbalance is detected, prescribe adequate treatment.
