Medications that Cause Hair Growth

One of the more distressing problems for women is developing hair in unwanted places.
While it’s beautiful to have abundant hair on your head, it’s considered unpleasant to have hair on the upper lip, chin, cheeks, chest even excess or prominent hair on arms and legs. Heredity, hormonal changes, various medical conditions and some drugs to treat unrelated hair problems play a great role in the amount of hair one has.

Classes of drugs that can cause hair growth are:

*Sex hormones –estrogens or androgens produced by the ovaries, testicles or the adrenal gland. The underlying reason for hair growth often has to do with a problem in the body’s production of hormones. At the same time, drugs that are hormones or stimulate production of hormones, can contribute to hair growth too.
Birth control should not be overlooked as a cause of hirsutism, although some contraceptives may be useful in treating idiopathic hirsutism. If a woman has excessive hair and wants to use oral contraceptives, some care must be taken in the choice of the pill. Pills with the greater androgenic effects should be avoided.
In addition to the question of oral contraceptives is the effect of progestins used in post menopausal women or regulating menstrual cycles. While they are less likely to cause hirsutism , they may do so.
Some drugs used to treat endometriosis, cysts in breasts or breast cancer can cause hair growth too.

*Cortisone and related adrenal steroids .
The body makes steroid hormones to maintain body mass and muscle and perform other essential functions.
Certain drugs prescribed in older people to maintain body mass, drugs to rebuilt tissue after a serious injury, to treat some anemias, to treat inflammation based diseases, etc can cause hair growth.
High on the list is the use of androgens such as anabolic steroids. Female athletes may use these in hopes of increasing their level of athletic performance. They can increase hair growth and may have other masculinizing effects as well.

*Drugs that stimulate the pituary or adrenal glands – causing it in turn to signal other hormone producing glands.

*Antiseisure medications and some antidepressants.

*Also high blood pressure medications (minoxidil) can cause increased facial hair growth. While this might be no problem for men, when it occurs in women it’s undesirable of course.
On the other hand, minoxidil will stimulate hair growth in man and women with male pattern baldness. It is now marketed in a scalp lotion, Rogaine, and is the only approved medication for the treatment of male pattern baldness. However it has its limitation and should be carefully used as it can increase hair growth in unwanted areas like forehead and neck.

*Other medications used to treat low blood sugar, antihistamines to relieve allergy or hay fever, some drugs to treat skin diseases, insomnia etc.

At Hairless NYC Electrolysis Clinic the initial Consultation/Evaluation will helps us decide if our clients’ unwanted hair growth is genetic or it is due to a health disorder and originates with a medication that has been prescribed by a physician …or both.

Understanding the cause of Hirsutism is an important part of ones’ electrolysis treatment to achieve their goal of permanently removing  unwanted hair.