Is It Normal To Have Excess Facial and Body Hair During Pregnancy?

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Written by Editorial Team

Editorial Team

With a rich experience in pregnancy and parenting, our team of experts create insightful, well-curated, and easy-to-read content for our to-be-parents and parents at all stages of parenting..

Excess Facial and Body Hair During Pregnancy

If you are wondering if it is normal to have excess facial and body hair during pregnancy, well, yes, it is. You can just breathe easily because you are not alone. Many women experience this strange and sudden hair growth on their faces and on their bodies when they are pregnant. If you are one of them, read on to understand why excess facial and body hair during pregnancy happens and what you can do about it.

It’s possible that an increase in androgens, a type of hormone, will cause your facial and body hair to develop more rapidly. Nails change as well, with some pregnant women experiencing tougher nails while others experience softer, more brittle nails.

Why do You Get Excess Facial and Body Hair During Pregnancy?

The answer to this question points to perhaps the same culprit for a host of pregnancy-related problems – hormones!

There are two hormones responsible for that excess hair you see on your upper lip (am I growing a mustache?) and under your chin (…and a beard?) and on your chest (Am I turning into a man?). These are:

1. Androgens

That is right, your body is producing this male hormone. In fact, your body, specifically your ovary, has always produced this hormone in very small amounts. Now, thanks to the hormonal circus happening in your body due to pregnancy, the level of androgens might have increased, leading to excess facial and body hair

2. Estrogens

Yes, this one is our very own. During pregnancy, your body produces increased quantities of estrogen. And what does estrogen do? It ensures your hair grows longer, faster.

It also reduces hair fall. This is the reason you feel that your hair gets stronger and thicker during pregnancy. This is also why the facial hair is staying intact!

So, in essence, the increased amount of testosterone triggers facial and body hair growth and an increased amount of estrogen sustain the hair.

Are These Excess Facial and Body Hair Grown During Pregnancy Permanent?

is body hair growth permanent

Yes and No. For most women, this hair growth is temporary. After about six months postpartum, your hormones finally rest and go back to their previous “normal” ranges. This will stop hair growth. In fact, around this time, you will experience excessive hair loss from your head as well.

No, it is not going to make you bald. It is just compensating for the excessive hair growth you experienced during pregnancy. The same is true for facial and body hair as well. It will resolve by itself a few months after pregnancy.

However, for some women, the hair growth at these odd places does not get resolved postpartum. These hairs will continue growing strong even a year after birth. If this is the case, consider talking to your doctor once.

Sometimes, pregnancy might not be the cause of your facial and body hair growth. Perhaps, it indicates an underlying hormonal imbalance. Sometimes, hair growth is hereditary.

In many cases, doctors do not know why the facial and body hair growth continues despite the woman not being pregnant.

Things That Can be Done When You Have Excess Hair During Pregnancy

hair removing

While everything about a woman is unique and beautiful, there is nothing embarrassing about having hair everywhere in your body. Be it pregnant or not, no women are comfortable walking around with thick (and at times curly) hair on their faces and chest. A simple solution for this problem is to remove excess hair.

You can opt for any of the usual methods of hair removal – waxing, threading, shaving, or tweezing. Be prepared for more pain than usual during waxing or threading as your skin is more sensitive now due to pregnancy. And no, none of these processes are going to hurt the baby at all.

Things to be Avoided When You Have Excess Hair During Pregnancy

That said, you should not bleach your skin when you are pregnant unless you are very sure. Bleaching involves the application of strong chemicals, which can penetrate deeper than your skin, enter your system and blood stream and then reach your baby. Read here to know the harmful chemicals to avoid during pregnancy.

Though the chemical is not yet known to cause any major damage to your pregnancy, research in the field is still fairly limited. And because you could be going through certain skin changes, it is wise to consult a doctor and seek the service at a reputed parlor.

You should also not go for permanent hair removal solutions like lasers during pregnancy. For starters, most service providers will not do laser on you if you are pregnant. And more importantly, lasers will not be very helpful during pregnancy as your hormones will continue to trigger hair growth.

So the hair removal will not be “permanent” despite the hefty price you paid for it. In fact, it can do more harm than good as it can lead to increased pigmentation.

The most important thing is this – you should relax. You are carrying a child. Your facial and body hair is part of the miracle called pregnancy. You can choose to wear them proudly or you can choose to remove them – but you should be comfortable with them and know that it is quite a normal phase to go through.

Editorial Team,

With a rich experience in pregnancy and parenting, our team of experts create insightful, well-curated, and easy-to-read content for our to-be-parents and parents at all stages of parenting.Read more.

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