Re: Epilation - Hormones and hair growth

[SAFarberMSPH@CS.COM]

Hi:

Very basic input on the issue of head hair vs. hair on body in females. All humans have a certain balance of  male vs. female sex hormones. Growth of hair on the head in both males and females is primarily controlled by a certain level of female sex hormones. Accordingly, you see only a few very bald women [other than Demi Moore when she wants to look tough, and can carry it off], but a lot of bald men.


In men who normally have plenty of testosterone & male sex hormones, they have plenty of body hair [facial, legs, back]. However, men often lose the hair on top of their heads due to an improper ratio and level  of female sex homones to their male hormones. In women who have a reduction of female to male hormones [analogues to testosterone -- some produced by ovary, some by adrenal gland], they can have thinning hair and  more body hair than usual [tendency to a mustache, legs, etc]


In your friend's case, treatment for ovarian cancer has certainly eliminated her ovarian produced female hormones which has caused a sudden  change in her female/male sex hormones and a sudden loss of head hair.  However, in women the adrenal gland produces a testosterone analogue that would keep a woman's  body hair  [other than scalp] at relatively normal levels which is why your friend hasn't lost the hair on her legs.


As a side note for balding men in the rad protection community, 15 or more years ago there was a test being done on men using a topically applied scalp cream which contained female sex hormones. [As Dave Barry say: I am not making this up].  This treatment seemed to work pretty well as far as promoting new hair growth in men, but some men in the test were developing undesirable secondary side effects as well [gynecomastia I believe its called --enlargement of the male breast from absorbing too much female hormone from the cream]. I think this approach faded away after development of other products to promote hair growth in men.


Stewart Farber, MS Public Health

email: SAFarberMSPH@cs.com





In a message dated 4/30/02 7:30:50 AM Pacific Daylight Time, Marty.Bourquin@GRACE.COM writes:



> she has me stumped with one.
>
>
> In a joking manner she asked me why she is losing the hair on her head 
>
> which she would like to keep, but is not losing hair on her legs which 
>
> she would like to lose (wouldnt have to shave them).  I could not 
>
> answer the question.  Can anyone out there provide an explanation that 
>
> I can pass on?