Excessive hairiness in women is not just a cosmetic¹ problem but is likely to be a sign of an underlying² medical condition, say UK doctors in a report.

英国医生在一篇报告中称，女性多毛不仅仅是化妆品问题，而且可能是内在医疗状态的迹象。

Hormones⁴ are an underlying cause of most cases of excess hair growth

Five to 15% of women have excess hair, and a hormone³（荷尔蒙，激素） disorder⁵ the most likely cause in many cases, the doctors said.

Women with the problem should not be afraid to seek medical advice, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists report urged.

Polycystic（多囊的） ovary（卵巢，子房） syndrome⁶（综合症） (PCOS) is the cause in 70% to 80% of cases.

Report author, Dr Rebecca Swingler, a specialist registrar⁷ in obstetrics（产科学，助产术） and gynaecology（妇科医学） at St Michael's Hospital in Bristol, said the condition, known as hirsutism（多毛症）, is distressing⁸（使痛苦，使烦恼） and can be particularly upsetting（令人苦恼的） for young women.

Estimates of how many women are affected⁹ are likely to be underestimated because women can be reluctant to seek help, she added.

In addition to PCOS, rarer causes of excessive hairiness include certain tumours¹⁰（肿瘤） and thyroid（甲状腺） dysfunction（官能不良，官能障碍）, as well as the use of certain drugs.

Mild cases can be treated cosmetically¹¹, she said, but in moderate to severe cases, hormone therapy, such as the oral contraceptive（口服避孕药） pill and other treatments are available.

Weight loss, especially in obese¹²（极肥胖的） women, may also help reduce high levels of the male hormone testosterone（男性荷尔蒙的一种） which can be an underlying factor in cases of excess hair.

"Often women have spent many years trying to cope with their hirsutism before they seek professional help," said Dr Swingler.

"Women need to look at themselves in the context of their family and ethnicity（种族） and what is 'normal' for them.

"If they notice a change in the pattern of hair growth or they notice they having to wax（变大，增大） more often then they should seek help," she said.

Reluctance¹³

Professor Stephen Franks, an expert in reproductive endocrinology（内分泌学） at Imperial College London, said the condition could be very embarrassing and women might be reluctant to seek medical advice.

They may also not realise hirsutism could be linked to a condition like PCOS because symptoms such as irregular periods are not present, he added.

"It's always worth getting it investigated. Even if it's a benign¹⁴（良性的） condition."

Professor Franks said how much hair growth was considered excessive was subjective¹⁵, but that women should not be afraid to seek help.

Rachel Hawkes, chairwoman of PCOS charity Verity¹⁶, said many women with excess hair growth did not actively¹⁷ seek treatment because they were embarrassed.

"The effect that excess hair can have on a woman's self-esteem（自尊，自负） and how she views herself as a woman - and therefore her quality of life - can be extremely distressing.

"We recommend women with PCOS who suffer with excess hair growth seek the advice of their GP, or ask to be referred to an endocrinologist（内分泌学家） or dermatologist¹⁸（皮肤科医生）."