hirsutism is male-pattern hair growth in women. excess hair may be on the upper lip chest back or elsewhere. causes of hirsutism include: polycystic ovary syndrome (most common) congenital adrenal hyperplasia (an inherited adrenal gland disorder) drug side effects hereditary (genetic) cushing's syndrome cancer most women with hirsutism have polycystic ovary syndrome characterized by irregular periods (or none) and multiple cysts visible on the ovaries on an ultrasound. only a small fraction of women have some other hormone imbalance. these are usually easily detected by lab tests in the supervision of an endocrinologist internist or family doctor. remember that normal hair growth patterns in women vary by race and ethnicity: don’t let an airbrushed magazine ideal fool you into a false self-diagnosis of hirsutism.
what causes hirsutism?