Hirsutism Hirsutism Hirsutism is excessive body hair in men and women on parts of the body where hair is normally absent or minimal, such as on the chin, chest, face or body. It may refer to a male pattern of hair growth that may be a sign of a more serious medical condition, especially if it develops well after puberty. Hirsutism can cause much psychological distress and social difficulty. Facial hirsutism often leads to the avoidance of social situations and to symptoms of anxiety and depression. Hirsutism is usually the result of an underlying endocrine imbalance, which may be adrenal, ovarian,
Hirsutism implicates high circulating levels of insulin in women for the development of hirsutism. This theory is speculated to be consistent with the observation that obese (and thus presumably insulin resistant hyperinsulinemic) women are at high risk of becoming hirsute. Further, treatments that lower insulin levels will lead to a reduction in hirsutism. It is speculated that insulin, at high enough concentration, stimulates the ovarian theca cells to produce androgens. There may also be an effect of high levels of insulin to activate insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) receptor in those same cells. Again, the result is increased androgen production. Signs