After years since adolescence of hunting down the slightest hair, with hair removal, razor or laser, or letting yourself live with it, here the thirties sometimes arrive with something new. Isolated but clearly visible hairs that magically appear in unexpected places. Chin, chest, shoulder… There is always a new place to adorn yourself with such an intruder, even among the stars. But why is that?
Hide this hair that I cannot see (and yet!)
First thing to know: it’s not serious. It’s even very common, according to experts. Danielle Louise, beauty expert at Fresha, puts the facts into perspective:
“Not all hair grows evenly on the body. Each hair follicle has its own growth cycle, so sometimes one follicle stays in its active growth phase longer than those around it.”
A follicle whose cycle differs slightly from that of its neighbors can also produce a hair that is significantly longer than the others. Result: the growth of a particularly long hair on the arm, shoulder, stomach or other area where the other hairs are so fine that they are barely noticed.
A fact of everyday female life that Dr Odile Bagot, gynecologist, already explained to us, in a previous subject:
“There are many women who have hair, few in number, but very long, on the chest for example. It is seen in a natural and physiological way and there is no need to worry about it at all. Now, as they are rare and they are long, a simple flick of tweezers allows them to be removed. There is nothing to worry about.”
Face and chin: the hair of war
What if this hair only appeared on the shoulder? The reality is that they can also settle… on the face. Where they are then more visible after 30 or 40 years.
“Hormones can influence the type of hair produced by a follicle. With the hormonal variations that occur during adult life, some follicles may become more sensitive to androgens.” continues the beauty expert.
This is when things change: hairs that were previously very fine and almost invisible can now become darker or thicker. It’s not that you didn’t have any. This is because they are more visible today.
Extra hair: when should you worry?
Discovering new isolated hairs is therefore not really a problem (except for the ego), but a sign of normal age. However, there remains one case where this should invite you to consult: when these multiply in certain locations.
“If to this are added pubic hairs which rise towards the navel or on the upper lip, we are rather in what we call thehirsutism. This is a hormonal imbalance of the type
hyperandrogenism which can be found in PCOS, for example” clarified the gynecologist.
In this case, there is no need to arm yourself with tweezers or multiply the wax strips.
“Before thinking about removing hair, you must first look for the cause of this hairiness, such as an endocrine cause, in order to receive appropriate treatment.
So, before declaring war on the slightest rebellious hair, sometimes it is better… to leave it alone. An isolated hair, even longer, darker or appearing after 30 years, is generally not serious and can simply be removed if you wish. On the other hand, if your hair changes suddenly or becomes much more significant, particularly on the face or stomach, it is no longer just a matter of tweezers: medical advice will help identify the cause.