Women with hirsutism grow hair on their faces, breasts and stomachs. This can cause great distress. The hair grows because they have abnormally high levels of the ‘masculinising’ androgen hormones. Androgens travel around the body in the blood stream, and a key way of treating hirsutism is to reduce the level of these androgens.
Data just published in Phytotherapy Research shows that drinking two cups of spearmint tea a day for five days could reduce the level of androgens in women with hirsutism.
“Current therapies use either oral contraceptives to suppress androgen production, or medications such as spironolactone that prevent the body responding to androgen – but this study shows that spearmint could be a good natural alternative for women who have mild symptoms,” says researcher Mehmet Numan Tamer who acts as spokesperson for the research team. The research was carried out at the Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey.
In the trials the herbal tea was made by pouring a cup (250ml) of boiling water over 1 heaped teaspoon (5g) of dried leaves, and leaving it for 5 to 10 mins.
The team decided to study the effects of spearmint on hirsutism because of previous reports that extracts of the spearmint plant (Mentha spicata Labiatae) could reduce libido in men. A possible reason for this reduced libido could have been that spearmint was reducing their androgen level. Other research had shown that these extracts reduced androgen levels in rats.
“We now need to do further studies to test the reliability of this finding, and to see the extent to which the reduced androgens do help women with mild hirsutism,” says Professor Tamer.
From John Wiley & Sons
Yep, I also have PCOS, suffer from hirsutism, am slightly overweight and apparently staring down the barrel of Type 2 Diabetes if I don’t control my weight in the next few years (I am 32, 170cm and 69kg). To all you teenagers out there, I suffered similar problems when I was younger, including a mother who didn’t understand when I told her I was hairier than other girls (although at the time, mine was thankfully not too dark), she assumed I was just freaking out about puberty, I guess. Even now, I don’t think she quite believes me when I say I suffer from hirsutism, but that’s because I pluck my chin hairs religiously and you will never see me in shorts, let alone bathers, if it’s anywhere below 38 degrees! And a bikini is quite out of the question! But, regarding boys not liking you, I have had a couple of boyfriends while suffering from these symptoms and not one of them cared a bit. I do shave when I feel the need (I try to stay away from razors when it comes to bikini lines and other sensitive areas and go for a ladyshaver instead, it reduces the instances of shaving bumps considerably), but if I don’t shave, my boyfriend doesn’t care. He even sometimes helpfully points out the my moustache may be a little long (our bathroom mirror is not help at all!) I also agree that you should probably try to stay away from drugs like Spironolactone and the like unless there are no other options available. Laser treatment was recommended to me by my gynaecologist and that, I think, is my next step as the Pill that I was on to lessen the effects of PCOS (mainly the hair) was making me very irritable (read: angry/moody/unbearable) and damaging my relationship. I will also give Spearmint tea a go as I love tea and anything that may reduce my hair growth that is cheap and effective, not to mention, delicious, is a goer in my book.
Omg thank you soo much for ur story u really made me feel a lot better with my body but why dont u like Spironolactone?
I was diagnosed with poly cystic ovaries over thirty years ago. I had real problems with hair everywhere..especially my face which I had to shave almost everyday. I started with a treatment of electrolysis and though it was painful and costly and took time…it really really worked. I cant even begin to tell how worth it is. It changed my life…no more shaving or feeling self conscious…it got rid of my hair permanently. Now that I am in my late 40′s and hitting menopause, i have random regrowth of a little of the hair but I go to laster to treat it. The moral of the story…dont suffer…get to it… dont wait! It works!
Can’t notice that anyones mentioned epilating, its more painful that waxing but it gets easier everytime and seems to work better. Google it? x
I’ve been shaving since 11 & I’m 27 now. I went through depression when I was 21 & its only now that I’m getting my life back. Razor bumps & hairyness has caused me to hate myself & I’ve isolated myself from my friends & the outside world. I’m seeing a counsellor at the moment & its helping. Right now I don’t want to be alone. I want a boyfriend but who would want a hairy girl.
I want a hairy girl! I think fuzzy women are incredibly pretty! Wish I had a fuzzy sweetie……
Hi
I’m a male and i love hairy girls
You can contact me if you want to get to know me
arielove@bezeqint.net
arie
I cn und your prob..
Mine too is same..
I ll date u..v ll live hapily..plz rep
I would like to get to know you
arielove@bezeqint.net
I have had fine hair growing on really crazy parts of my body since I was 18. Even on my face! I got darker hair growing on my cleavage, along my stomach and upper thighs. I used to shave every other day. Then I started plucking my face and hairline with tweezers every few days and getting my lower arms and legs waxed. It was agony. Eventually I realised I was wasting so much time in these rituals getting rid of hair that I had stopped doing anything useful with my time. I was also wasting a TON of money buying hair removal products! The guys I was dating had hair in places I didn’t like, but they weren’t bothering to do anything about it. Yet, they expected me to shave everything. One day I had a huge row with my ex when he wanted me to go swimming at the last minute and I hadn’t shaved for 3 days and didn’t have time to do it before we left. He decided to point out the hairs anyway! I broke up with him and haven’t bothered with all the plucking since. I shave my legs every week or so if I feel like it and under my arms and that is all. F**k all this shaving! I’m sick and tired of wasting my life feeling like crap and trying to battle nature! I’ve stopped buying magazines, stopped watching TV, stopped looking at anything where I have to see all these f****ng ‘perfect’ women! Instead of all that, I am now composing music (something I have wanted to do for years but never had time for)!
I apologise for my language and anger, but why the hell should I be made to feel bad for how I was made? And why is it (mainly) women who have to go through this? I’ve never known a guy to waste so much time trying to look ‘normal’!
PLease read my recent story on laser hair removal and feel free to leave a comment on my contact form…..http://www.mytwistedstyle.com/
Man being hairy just sucks butt!! Im almost 20 Now and i have hair pretty much everywhere.. Not as thick but they r there. I was always hairy since i was little but dk how cuz all the women in my family are not as hairy as me. Im dying to wear 2 peice bikinis, v-necks,and Stuff like that but i dont want Ppl to see im hairy and comment on it . especially around guys. I think they aré not going to like me after they find out im hairy. Not to be conceited or anything but i think im very pretty and have nice Body but i had to be cursed with all this hair. lol
it’s depressing looking at all the other girls hairless where i have hair. I want all this hair gone asap!! maybe this tea works…. Anyone out there who has tried this tea that can tell me if it works?? Or any suggestions on what i should do?? something not as expensive but can last. shaving and creams aré tiring . Heeeellllp pllleaaaase !!!
I love you and hairy women, Please stop feeling bad about how yoou were made. I would love to see some pictures of you! I get so turned on by hairy women it hurts! I just want to look at them all day long. Especially a women with dark curly hair ! Ohh S***, i am going crazy!
Ok, I am thirteen and have hair (thin stuff, like my arm hair which is normal) on my stomach and boobs. The boobs I can accept, I can’t remove that hair, but my snail trail and cleavage? Shaving just results in cuts coz it’s such a uneven surface, and my mum won’t let me use anything else! Actually mum doesn’t know about my stomach, she knows I shave my legs and underarms and she doesn’t know I cut and shave the top of my pubes… She’s not very approachable in that way… I’m not allowed to go to the shops on my own, mum even picks out which pads I use when I have my period, so getting a cream or aomething kind of isn’t an option… Please help! Ps. I have pubes in my anus, WTF? Btw immonly allowwed one cup of tea a day because if caffeine…
Thx
Lu xx
Well, your mom seems stupid. Because your 13 years old .. your becoming a woman.. she should be there for questions and stuff, but she needs to stand back and let you decide what
to do. And wtf ? your only allowed a cup of tea a day cause of caffeine ? .. there is no caffeine in tea , .. so your moms kindove an idiot. and for the hair situation theres not much you can do i guess, deffenetly do not shave ! that will cause worse problems. Waxing is a good option because if you do it enough times your hair will become very faint, and hardly notible , in some cases the hair eventually stops growing ! so yeaaah.
thats my opion.
hey guys..so nice to see all the comments it makes me feel better.. i gt too much hairs too ..on ma face, back, stomach etc… i shave ma arm and leg..bt its very bd… however thats ok..but i am worried wiv ma face. i suffer from acne too.. evertnk makes me depressive. i am tweezing sometimes and use hair removing cream for ma face bt its not working as i hv to do it almost every week… its awful…
its gd to see that so many other people suffer from it too…
all the best for u future
xxxxx
does it work ? plz Answer me