Unwanted hair involves two pathologies of great incidence in the feminine population: Hypertricosis and Hirsutism.
The Hypertricosis is characterized by the growth of the hair non-dependant of androgens localized or generalized in all the body. It can have only cosmetic meaning (without underlying pathology or to be the cutaneous manifestation of a systemic disease). The Hypertricosis can be congenital (developed from the birth or during the precocious childhood) or acquired (associated to tumorlike pathologies in bronchi, pancreas, ovaries, etc.) and is three times but common in women that in men.
The Hirsutism is the growth of the hair in the face or the body of a woman, with masculine distribution., The genetic potential of the hair follicles is mainly responsible for which the normal , thin body hairs are transformed into thick, masculine hairs. Also racial and ethnic factors determine important modifications in the distribution and quality of the feminine hair, in such a way that what for a certain population the so called Hirsutism is normal.
With the goal of investigate the Psychological Aspects of this upheaval, an investigation was made in the Robles Clinic of Plastic Surgery on a population of 50 people (47 women and 3 men) who ask for treatment of their unwanted hair assisted by Laser. The process by which the Laser destroys the hair is called Selective Phototermolisis: the released energy is concentrated selectively in the melanin that contains the hair and gives its color, producing the selective destruction of both hair and bulb that gives its origin.
In this investigation we evaluate the associated degree of Personal Affectation to the upheaval of the no wished hair. Next some typical stories are going to give account of the associated type of Personal Affectation to this upheaval:
1-"I feel bothered to have to shave me continuously. When I speak with somebody I cover the face”. (affected zone: chin and moustache).
2-"I don´t use pony tail, I do not put certain clothes, when I speak with somebody I think he´s looking directly to that zone" (affected zone: jaw and moustache).
3-"It bothers me, as a woman, to have to cover with two pounds of makeup" (affected zone: chin and moustache).
Of the analyzed population, 40 of the 47 women concurred by hair in the zone of the face (moustache and chin mainly), the 7 rest, were affected in the body (mainly armpits, legs).
We see appear different Levels of “Personal Affectation"
A.- Disturbances of the daily life: the time investment that in some cases were one or two hours daily constitutes a serious upheaval in the daily life. One of the interviewed patients expresses it calling it as "wasted time", because in a short while they returned, "as if nothing had done me".
B.- Inhibitions and Restrictions: the hair, mainly in the zone of the face is felt like something shamefaced, something to hide. Assimilated to a masculine characteristic that ruins the feminine image, the women orchestrate diverse Habits of Concealment, as she is to cover the face with the hand or to cover them with the hair. This situation fundamentally disturbs the social area of relationship with the others, because the others are transformed into possible discoverers of the characteristic that shames her. An interviewed patient indicated on the subject: "What could think anybody? This hairy one! I Can’t expect any affection towards me ".
C.- Disturbance of the Self-esteem: The degree of Self-esteem depends on a number of factors, among them the glance of the others towards the own person; in this case, the anticipation of a glance by ricochet, diminishes the Self-esteem.
D.- Psychopathologic Upheavals In personalities with phobic or depressive predisposition can be constituted in leading factor of these states. In some cases of depressives or phobic states have been detected increased by the upheaval of the no wished hair there are subjects that restrict in almost absolute form their exits or the direct deal with people of their surroundings, conditioning their life on the basis of the presence or of hair Some interviewed people comments: "If I have hairs I do not go out" or "I condition the exits of all my family according to this problem". It was observed that the possible disturbances involve diverse aspects that vary according to the intensity of the upheaval and of the type of personality of the subject that suffers it. In the personalities with obsessive characteristics, for example, a minimum upheaval in relation to the hair produces Maximal Personal Affectation.
E.- Distress: related to which it is perceived as a masculine characteristic in the feminine body, appears with diverse intensities. An interviewed patient comments: "I want the earth to open and disappear when I am outdoors and somebody watches me, the sun exposes you much more and there is no way to disguise it". The predominant affection is the shame, putting itself in close relation with the Sexual Identity.
The possibility of a suitable treatment to solve the problem, generally generates great expectations, because have been proven a number of methods that were not satisfactory (clamp, wax, electro shaving, etc). Some of the interviewed people express their expectations saying: "No longer to have this hated fuzz"; "I wonder he touches me and not to have it"; "To be pleased to beat it".
Its resolution is lived like a great relief, consolidating the feminine image.
In the case of the masculine patient population (3/50), one was cases of severe Hypertricosis in back and neck fundamentally.
As a synthesis we can say that, in our culture, the hair in the woman is ugly, generating a reaction by ricochet. If the hair appears in the zone of the face the feminine image seems insane thus generating diverse types of Personal Affectation.
Dr. José M. Robles
Director, Robles Clinic of Plastic Surgery
Dr. Juan Carlos Tagliapietra
M.D. Laser Certified, Robles Clinic of Plastic Surgery
Lic. Patricia Saks
Psicologist