Spearmint tea — A possible treatment for hairy women

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


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819 thoughts on “Spearmint tea — A possible treatment for hairy women”

  1. I told him & he said he loves me. I told him about being covered in hairyness but I didn’t go into depth about the razor bumps on my face. He knows something is there but he doesn’t know how bad it is. I was scared to tell him. The way I did it was I showed him one of my messages on this sight & I watched him as he read it. I just couldn’t say the words ‘I’m hairy’. Let’s see how things go. Its still early days to be calling him my boyfriend but damn I’m in love & I’m so happy.

    • hi let me tell u i had the same prob HAD. i was sooo hairy but i got rid of it by changing my diet! stop eating sugars all simple carbs as in no white flour,cos it turns into sugar .sugar increases testosterone. and if ur testosterone increases so will serverity of unwanted hair. also use mint oil and mint tea cos it washes out testosterone. aslo u need omega 3s take cod liver oil . if ur overweight loose weight. u also need caprylic acid with ur food also put coconut oil in ur diet. u can repair ur body n it will heal itself but we have to go back to our boilogical way of eating. u can email me [email protected]

  2. I have hair on my face, my back and my chest…. and my husband has no idea because hes never home long enough to know. hes currently deployed to Iraq and im scared for when he finally comes home and sees it :( im scared because of how “young” we both are that he will act like a child and leave.

    its a pity that i need to be so scared around my own husband and i wish people didnt suck so much

    • lets talk hi let me tell u i had_ the same prob HAD. i was sooo hairy but i got rid of it by changing my diet! stop eating sugars all simple carbs as in no white flour,cos it turns into sugar .sugar increases testosterone. and if ur testosterone increases so will serverity of unwanted hair. also use mint oil and mint tea cos it washes out testosterone. aslo u need omega 3s take cod liver oil . if ur overweight loose weight. u also need caprylic acid with ur food also put coconut oil in ur diet. u can repair ur body n it will heal itself but we have to go back to our boilogical way of eating. u can email me [email protected]

  3. Hey gerls,

    Im hairy too..In secondary school, I was constanly teased. This guy told all the other guys that I have more hair on my legs if they were to combine theirs and compare with mine.

    Those stupid boys make my life miserable Now, my boyfriend accepts me for who I am and assures me that I’m beautiful. Howeveer, I still wax my legs and pubic area. I leave the fine hair on my back, stomach and arms. I’m pretty fair but I have black hair.

    We should be grateful. I know it is hard but sometimes, we are too harsh on ourselves.

    • You are lucky to find someone to love you as who you are I hope your love for one another stay strong hopefully one day I find somebody to love me for me with my extra hair

    • hi let me tell u i had the same prob HAD. i was sooo hairy but i got rid of it by changing my diet! stop eating sugars all simple carbs as in no white flour,cos it turns into sugar .sugar increases testosterone. and if ur testosterone increases so will serverity of unwanted hair. also use mint oil and mint tea cos it washes out testosterone. aslo u need omega 3s take cod liver oil . if ur overweight loose weight. u also need caprylic acid with ur food also put coconut oil in ur diet. u can repair ur body n it will heal itself but we have to go back to our boilogical way of eating. u can email me [email protected]

  4. Who has a boyfriend & is hairy? How does he handle it? I’m just scared becos I feel that he won’t look @ me the same after I tell him. He’s gonna be so disappointed & I fear that he will leave me.

    • I have a boyfriend and i am indeed a hairy girl. I have hair (dark prickly hair) on my stomach, breasts, bottom (around the anus), and very dark pubic hair. My boyfriend says he likes the hair but I definitely do not. I want to get rid of my hair as soon as possible, but laser treatments are so expensive and I don’t want to be in debt just because I want to be beautiful. I shave and tweeze which is bad but, i don’t know what else to do. I’m going to try the spearmint tea maybe it will work i am desperate.

      Chances are he won’t leave you for something so trivial. If he loves you like he says he does then the hair won’t matter n he’ll try to explore options with you to try and rid that gorgeous body of the unsightly hair. <3

  5. Well, clearly it seems that there are quite a few women who actually have huge problems with hirsutism. Maybe it’s about time we find out what actually works. Has anybody tried this spearmint tea? What about spironolactone? It seems to me that doctors are really ignorant about the problem since our lives are not in danger.. well they have no idea how many times I have thought about suicide and actually prepared for it. Hirsutism is in fact a big problem and it needs more attention.

  6. I feel the same as all you feel. Ive hated my increasing facial hair/body hair since I was 14 but it was not so bad till i turned 20 and then boom it started increasing gradually with each removal month after month year after year. Its gotten worse since age 26 and at age 29 now its getting so bad and driving me nuts because its so hard to accept myself. Ive lost hours of my life fussing over the hair. But the way I cope now is im trying to improve the appearence of my skin bcuz shaving my face takes a lot out of the healthy skin look and adds too many ingrowns. Ive figured out that high end natural products such as origins never a dull moment face wash and origins modern friction work best before shaving bcuz they gently exfoliate and dont cause irritation. I use to use gillette shave gel but im making an effect to use natural products so now im using dr. bronners unscented liquid castille soap it makes a luxurious creamy lublicated later i add a dash of alba moisture shave cream this is very effective almost magic with the liquid castile soap laster. this routine has helped my regain my soft youthful skin back after shaving so long. i never use mens razors tho. i pat my face dry after shaving. i follow with aveda exfoliate which is a great toner as a bonus it keeps ingrowns at bay. finally i apply hydrating lotion which anlog with exfoliate , are both from aveda`s line botanical kinetics. and i top off the smoothness with bare minerals mineral makeup i made the switch to these products after having crappy razor damaged skin 4 way too long. this is not a commerical for these products but its just something ive found to take the edge off my anxiety and facial hair worries. I know these products are a bit expensive but its been worth every penny for my increased self esteem Im not saying rush out and buy these im just saying high quality prodcts can help with restoring razor damaged skin not every product is right for everyone but these products brands have many lines that cater to specific skin types such as oily or dry or combination skin. also exfoliating (removing dead skin cells) is essential before shaving and moisturizing after is essential too so i hope this can help some one improve her skin along with her self esteem.

  7. hi, i m 21.i m damn hairy.i hv hair on all d possible areas n being a girl its so embarrasing.i feel ashamed of myself. just becoz i have gud features people say i m so beautiful but wenever i hear dat my heart cries den y do i have so many hairs. i always feel dese people will stop loving me once dey cum to know abt my reality. i hate my body i just want to ged rid of dese hair or my life. i feel so depressed everytime i luk at myself.

  8. He thinks I’m perfect. It will break his heart when I tell him how ugly I am. Then he will leave me and I will go back to hiding away from the world. But he makes me so happy and I make him happy. But how will he take the news? Things will definetely change and I just don’t need people being akward with me. Especially him. I’m in love and I’m covered in hairyness and razor bumps. He won’t look at me the same after I tell him but he needs to know the truth. I can’t keep pushing him away because he always comes back. But after hearing what I have to tell him. Its a shame. my heart is breaking and he’s gonna hate me

    • its okay get ur mind together and beat it! i had the same prob! n it fell out hi let me tell u i had the same prob HAD. i was sooo hairy but i got rid of it by changing my diet! stop eating sugars all simple carbs as in no white flour,cos it turns into sugar .sugar increases testosterone. and if ur testosterone increases so will serverity of unwanted hair. also use mint oil and mint tea cos it washes out testosterone. aslo u need omega 3s take cod liver oil . if ur overweight loose weight. u also need caprylic acid with ur food also put coconut oil in ur diet. u can repair ur body n it will heal itself but we have to go back to our boilogical way of eating. u can email me [email protected]

  9. Seriously ladies you need to stop, I am a 23 year old woman who has had facial hair since high school. At first it was embarrassing but i just plucked at first but my hair has slowly increased so I shave. I have been in 3 serious relationships. My first had no idea my second caught me shaving my face and my husband asked why I took so long in the shower and I just told him the truth and he still loves me. Its not my fault I have PCOS and its not my fault I have facial hair. My whole family knows and my friends know. If you shave exfoliate before hand with a loofa and body wash shave with the grain once you get it close enough go against the grain this will reduce ingrowns. use a mans shaving cream and a mans razor with 5 blades its a closer shave then use a good face cream to soothe the face, If you are paranoid and embarrased about it then he will see it as bad. If you honestly accept yourself and your bodies natural beauty and imperfections then he honestly wont care. Love is love

    • nonono dont eccept it ! get rid of it! hi let me tell u i had_the same prob HAD. i was sooo hairy but i got rid of it by changing my diet! stop eating sugars all simple carbs as in no white flour,cos it turns into sugar .sugar increases testosterone. and if ur testosterone increases so will serverity of unwanted hair. also use mint oil and mint tea cos it washes out testosterone. aslo u need omega 3s take cod liver oil . if ur overweight loose weight. u also need caprylic acid with ur food also put coconut oil in ur diet. u can repair ur body n it will heal itself but we have to go back to our boilogical way of eating. u can email me [email protected] ps . also when u had this prob u need iodine ! but in the natural form eat seaweed u can get it at most stores in the asian section i eat it like chips . cos u need the zince/minerals and iodine in the seawwed / seaweed is the richest source of these things but u need to take a enzyme with it so u dont get gas . any1 with this prob can contact me . xoxox

  10. hi, its sad to hear that this has stopped you from being in a serious relationship. i have issues with a hairy face, just get so sick of “maintaining” it. my partner doesnt even notice mine and didnt from the start of our relationhip. shallow people who judge you on the outside are not the sort of people you want.

  11. I have hair every where and its the one thing that keeps me from going into a serious relationship, i am consumed by it and i wish i new how to stop obsessing, it feels good knowing there are people out there who felt the way i feel.

  12. I don’t understand why hair is considered ugly. If a person has a nice body and nice skin [as in no pimples], then body hair is no big deal. We all have it…unless you’re a child or a chemo patient.

    • okay, so I am ugly because i get acne? because i get hair bumps on my chest from shaving. I used to stay away from v neck and strapless dresses. but now i don’t care and still wear pretty things.it makes me happy.

  13. I am so glad to hear I am not te only one :) my dad is Macedonian and my mum is croatian I am so damn hairy its embarrassing I am in my early 20’s and never had a proper serious realationship because of it, it controls my life and I wish there was an easy way out! I do the regular waxing on the legs arms and face also did laser on my legs underarms and stomach it helped alot on my legs and underarms not so much on the belly only problem is you can’t really stop the treatments I find hair slowly grows back (finer which is a bonus) I have done 20 treatments haven’t tried to touch my bottom yet should try something for it just don’t want to show anyone

  14. Omg! emma I am so glad to hear this from u, I am latin and i live in Sweden, and all the girls here are so damn HAIRLESS, I mean they do have hair but its all blonde :( And I have hair all over the place, i feel so manly all the time, I am sure u have blonde hair, you are lucky, shaving is so hectic, but it did make me feel better reading your optimistic comment, and i dont think any guy can like me if he really knows how I am, he will run for sure..I have no problem with my body or face but its cursed by HAIR!

    • OMG I have the same problem and I feel like no one has it like I do. I live in Hawaii where every one is asian-mixed, brown, and hairless. I am Italian mixed and I have hair on my nipples, stomach, lower back, butt, my leg hairs are so black and course, and my bikini line has no end. Of-course, I am single because I wonʻt let myself be loved or being nude is just a nightmare. Laser is the only thing that works. Best wishes to you!! Love yourself!!

      • omg! samee but i am like THIRTEEN PEOPLE. and i have it int he same places aswell as another :( and i’m too embarrased 2 askmy mum if i can wax
        advice?

      • not even ! fix it naturally laser wont work cos its like a banaid! and the prob it with tnonono dont eccept it ! get rid of it! hi let me tell u i had_the same prob HAD. i was sooo hairy but i got rid of it by changing my diet! stop eating sugars all simple carbs as in no white flour,cos it turns into sugar .sugar increases testosterone. and if ur testosterone increases so will serverity of unwanted hair. also use mint oil and mint tea cos it washes out testosterone. aslo u need omega 3s take cod liver oil . if ur overweight loose weight. u also need caprylic acid with ur food also put coconut oil in ur diet. u can repair ur body n it will heal itself but we have to go back to our boilogical way of eating. u can email me [email protected] ps . also when u had this prob u need iodine ! but in the natural form eat seaweed u can get it at most stores in the asian section i eat it like chips . cos u need the zince/minerals and iodine in the seawwed / seaweed is the richest source of these things but u need to take a enzyme with it so u dont get gas . any1 with this prob can contact me . xoxoxhe chemicals inside

    • i don’t think blondes have to shave as much. you don’t really notice blonde hairs on white skin. but dark hairs on brown skin is notieceable. i am black, nice body(34C-26-36), but i don’t usually reveal my body because of my cystic acne, hair, and also have trust issues. men are so flighty.

  15. I’m sorry to hear about your situation. Its sad being hairy and wanting to date. But I think that if he really loves you, he will stay & support you.

  16. I can’t deal with the pressure of being hairy & having a boyfriend. He knows that there’s something on my face but he doesn’t know the extent of it. I’ve ruined my skin from shaving & now I can’t deal with someone being around me. I keep pushing him away & he keeps coming back. I’m scared to tell him about the razor bumps & the hairyness. I know that he will leave me & I can’t deal with rejection. Especially by him. I love him & I want to be with him but a girl with a rooted face & hairy body is sure to put him off. Then what do I do?

    • Donʻt worry. Being vulnerable is scary but you are a gift, donʻt waste time with small things like body hair. I have wasted so much time and sabotaged so many relationships because of my hatred of my body hair. My sisters has a lot of chin hair (a lot!!) and her boyfriend adores her, tells her not to worry about it, and that when they can afford it they will get laser removal. Love is compassion. I encourage you to be vulnerable and let him see you as you are. Blessings

    • hid eit and get ride of it — if he sees it tell him its about to fall out . but if he aint man enough to deal with grown ppls probs drop him like its hot.nonono dont eccept it ! get rid of it! hi let me tell u i had_the same prob HAD. i was sooo hairy but i got rid of it by changing my diet! stop eating sugars all simple carbs as in no white flour,cos it turns into sugar .sugar increases testosterone. and if ur testosterone increases so will serverity of unwanted hair. also use mint oil and mint tea cos it washes out testosterone. aslo u need omega 3s take cod liver oil . if ur overweight loose weight. u also need caprylic acid with ur food also put coconut oil in ur diet. u can repair ur body n it will heal itself but we have to go back to our boilogical way of eating. u can email me [email protected] ps . also when u had this prob u need iodine ! but in the natural form eat seaweed u can get it at most stores in the asian section i eat it like chips . cos u need the zince/minerals and iodine in the seawwed / seaweed is the richest source of these things but u need to take a enzyme with it so u dont get gas . any1 with this prob can contact me . xoxox

  17. Dude! We’re mammals. Girls are mammals, too. Of course we’re going to have hair! It’s such a shame that society makes us feel so bad about it. I don’t have any disorder but I inherited hairiness from my dad (I’m Scandinavian). It used to bug me, but I get so much attention now because I’ve realized that I am beautiful, and being fuzzy doesn’t stop that. Yes, I have a mustache, but I actually use scissors to cut it unnoticeably short. It’s quick and easy. Also, most models have excess body hair! If you ever see photos of them lit in a certain way, sometimes you can see the hair sticking up from their arms and it’s pretty long! Also, I’ve seen photos of Marilyn Monroe with very thick hair on her arms. And Megan Fox… something about her; you can tell she has a mustache. Also the inside of her eyebrows are very thick. And these are some of the most beautiful women in recent history! I think in order to have a beautiful head of hair, you’re going to have to live with some on your body. So shave your legs, your pits, maybe your belly button and pubes, pluck your eyebrows, do something to your ‘stache, and move on with your life!! People who really matter won’t care if you have hair on your butt cheeks. Trust me, my boyfriend doesn’t! It’s not like you’re always running around with your butt cheeks exposed anyway. Take care of the beautiful hair on your head, because I’m sure plenty of women are jealous.

    • Omg! emma I am so glad to hear this from u, I am latin and i live in Sweden, and all the girls here are so damn HAIRLESS, I mean they do have hair but its all blonde And I have hair all over the place, i feel so manly all the time, I am sure u have blonde hair, you are lucky, shaving is so hectic, but it did make me feel better reading your optimistic comment, and i dont think any guy can like me if he really knows how I am, he will run for sure..I have no problem with my body or face but its cursed by hair!

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