A recent study has shown that women suffering from a condition causing excess hair growth in unwanted places could find relief with a simple — and fairly tasty — treatment.
“Hirsutism” is actually not a condition but rather a symptom of an underlying condition. It involves a woman sprouting hair — usually fairly thick and dark — in places that a man would typically grow hair, such as the chest, face, and back. The cause itself is usually an increase in androgen levels, which spurs hair growth — that’s all well and good if you’re a man, but extremely undesirable if you’re a woman. Androgens are the hormones that are responsible for male characteristics, such as testosterone, but the normal female body also produces small amounts.
Now, behind this hormonal imbalance you could find any number of conditions, including obesity, hypothyroidism, polycystic ovarian syndrome (POS; a hormonal disorder that causes infertility), Cushing’s syndrome (a disorder of the endocrine system), “congenital adrenal hyperplasia” (a disease affecting sex steroids and the development of male/female characteristics), high blood insulin levels, and anorexia nervosa. Certain drugs, such as DHEA-S, testosterone, anabolic steroids, low-dose birth control pills, penicillamine, minoxidil, streptomycin, cyclosporine, and phenytoin could also be affecting the body’s androgens.
If we don’t consider the underlying condition, hirsutism is really just a cosmetic problem, although it can be quite distressing and embarrassing for many women. Until now, treating this symptom has been time consuming, expensive, and even painful. I’m talking about hair removal here. Temporary options include plucking, shaving, bleaching, chemical dilapidation (those stinky cream or gels), waxing, sugaring, threading, and epilating devices. More permanent (and expensive) hair removal methods are available; these are electrolysis, thermolysis, and laser therapy. There is also medication available, depending on the root cause of the hirsutism.
Now, there’s a new potential treatment to add to the list: spearmint tea. The best part about this therapy is that it is cheap, easy to use, and safe.
This finding is from Turkish researchers at Suleyman Demirel University. The study looked at 21 women with hirsutism, 12 of which had POS. The women drank a cup of spearmint tea twice a day for five days during a specific time in their menstrual cycles (the phase when the ovarian follicle develops). The researchers made the tea by steeping a heaping teaspoon of “Mentha spicata (Labiatae)” leaves in 250 ml of boiling water for between five and 10 minutes.
At the end of the five days, the Turkish researchers tested the study subjects’ blood and found that there had been a drop in active testosterone, but not in overall testosterone. In addition, some female hormones had increased, including those involved in jump-starting the process of ovarian follicle development.
The researchers have concluded that spearmint could influence the way androgens are metabolized or synthesized in the female body. This means that the tea has the potential to bring down the levels of these hormones in the body, thus leading to a reduction of the unwanted hair growth.
Before it can be recommended as a treatment for hirsutism, spearmint must be studied further, especially the extent of its effects on hair growth reduction. Nevertheless, it seems fairly promising as an alternative treatment for women suffering from this symptom and can be included in the diet without any health risks. Just make sure you specifically use spearmint.
If you are a woman suffering from hair growth in usual places such as above your lip or on your back, you should get it checked out. It’s not necessarily a symptom of a health problem; it could actually just be due to your genetic makeup, as excessive hair growth can be common in certain ethnic groups. However, in some cases, it is a sign that something within your body is not right. Talk to your doctor about your symptoms and any medications you might be taking. Do not discontinue any prescriptions without talking to your physician first. The treatment, if any is required, will depend on the condition behind the hormonal changes.
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