What is Hirsutism (Excessive Hairiness)?
An abnormal growth of hair on the body leading to excessive hairiness is called hirsutism. It may be generalized (all over the body) or partial (covering parts of the body).
Understanding hair-related symptoms and features
Symptoms may affect multiple parts of the body. Understanding which part of the body a symptom affects, can help us to better understand the potential underlying causes of a symptom, including a rare disease or genetic syndrome.
Hair is a part of the integumentary system of the body, a system which includes not only hair but also skin and nails too. The integumentary system acts to protect our body from external threats or injury.
Generally, symptoms affecting the hair can be seen with the eye. Although diagnosing a hair related symptom may involve different tests and assessments, both subjective and objective.
Symptoms relating to the hair affect hair on all parts of the body, including the scalp, torso and face. They may also affect specific features of the face, including the eyebrows and eyelashes. When looking specifically at symptoms relating to the hair, other aspects such as the amount, distribution, thickness, texture and colour should also be taken into consideration.
What should I do next?
In some instances, hirsutism or excessive hairiness may be one of the features of a rare disease or genetic syndrome. To find out if someone with Hirsutism, may be due to a genetic syndrome, it is important to have a consultation and evaluation with a clinical genetic specialist. Specialists may also suggest specific genetic testing or other types of tests to help reach a diagnosis. FDNA’s AI technology can help speed up the diagnostic process by analyzing facial features and other health information.