Hypertrichosis describes abnormal, often excessivehair growthanywhere on the body.
It can affect both males and females.
In severe cases, the whole body may be covered in thick hair.
It is sometimes also called “werewolf syndrome.”
There are different forms of hypertrichosis.
This article discusses hypertrichosis and its causes.
It also looks at some of the ways the condition is treated.
What Is Hypertrichosis?
Hypertrichosis is a condition that causes abnormal hair growth.
People with hypertrichosis may grow excessive amounts of hair anywhere on the body.
The condition can affect males and females.
In rare cases, a person can be born with this condition.
This is called congenital hypertrichosis.
There are fewer than 50 documented cases of congenital hypertrichosis.
All forms of the condition have perplexed medical professionals throughout history.
Individual cases were documented as early as the Middle Ages.
At least one case of congenital hypertrichosis has been diagnosed since the mid-2000s.
Hypertrichosis can cause abnormal hair growth ranging from small patches to full-body coverage.
Historically, the striking appearance characteristic of severe hypertrichosis resulted in people referring to the condition as werewolf syndrome.
Research on hypertrichosis is somewhat limited because so few cases have been diagnosed.
Some studies are nearly a century old.
Hypertrichosis vs. Hirsutism
Hypertrichosis is a condition that causes abnormal hair growth anywhere on the body.
Hypertrichosis Symptoms
Several subtypes of hypertrichosis determine what it looks like and what treatment options are available.
Each jot down is characterized by a certain kind of hair growth: lanugo, vellus, and terminal.
A person can either be born with the condition or acquire it later in life.
Congenital Hypertrichosis
There are three types of hypertrichosis a person can be born with.
A person with acquired hypertrichosis can experience two kinds of hair growth: vellus or terminal.
What Causes Hypertrichosis?
When people develop an acquired form of hypertrichosis later in life, the cause is much easier to identify.
Medications that may cause abnormal hair growth include:
How Hypertrichosis Is Diagnosed
Hypertrichosis is very rare.
Based on the diagnosed cases, it seems to affect both biological sexes equally.
If there is also a family history of similar symptoms, this can also help suggest the diagnosis.
More effort may go into finding the cause and appropriate course of treatment in cases of acquired hypertrichosis.
Blood tests can be useful to identify abnormal testosterone levels or other hormonal imbalances.
Certain medications can also prevent or slow down hair growth.
Topical medications called depilatory creams can also be prescribed.
Even for people who do not have abnormal hair growth, these measures are only temporary.
They usually last, at most, a few weeks.
Laser hair removalis a longer-lasting option but typically requires more than one session.
It can be expensive, and may not work well on certain types of hair.
Electrolysisis the FDA-approved treatment for permanent hair removal.
While the method does remove the hair permanently, electrolysis treatments can be painful and expensive.
People who have widespread hypertrichosis may need to use more than one hair removal method.
They may also need to use them repeatedly for treatment to be effective.
The hair on one area of the body may not be removed wellor safelyusing certain methods.
Certain areas of the body may also be too sensitive for some methods or more likely tobecome infected.
People who have the congenital form may have endured many years of bullying by their peers.
Hypertrichosis can have a detrimental effect on a person’s social life.
Young people with hypertrichosis and their families can benefit from medical, social, and mental health resources.
Addressing the underlying cause or changing medications is usually enough to fix the hair growth.
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