Why Do Hairs Suddenly Grow on Our Chin After 40?
Nurit Rozenblat
Skin & Wellness Magazine
There are small things that arrive with age with no advance notice. For example, one small, stubborn hair that suddenly appears on the chin.
One day we look in the mirror and discover it. We take out the tweezers, remove it and get on with life. But a few weeks later it comes back, and sometimes it brings a friend.
So why does this happen now, of all times?
What is the connection between age and facial hair?
Over the years, and especially during perimenopause and menopause, the female body goes through significant hormonal changes.
Estrogen levels change and later decline, while the relative influence of androgenic hormones, such as testosterone, may become more pronounced.
The result is that sometimes hair follicles that once produced fine, light fuzz begin to grow thicker, darker and more noticeable hairs.
The common areas are the chin, the jawline and above the upper lip.
Why the chin, of all places?
Hair follicles in different areas of the body respond differently to hormones.
The hair follicles in the chin area are especially sensitive to androgens. In some women, even without an unusual rise in testosterone levels, the change in hormonal balance is enough to affect hair growth.
Genetics also plays a role. If your mother or grandmother had noticeable hairs on the chin at an older age, you may well notice the same thing.
Does plucking a hair cause more hairs to grow?
No. This is one of the oldest myths in skincare.
Plucking a hair with tweezers does not cause new hair follicles to form, and it does not cause additional hairs to grow around it.
Shaving does not make the hair thicker either. It simply cuts the hair at a straight edge, so when it starts growing back it may feel harder or more bristly.
So what is the best way to remove them?
Tweezers: a simple solution for individual hairs. It is important to use clean tweezers and pull gently in the direction of growth to reduce irritation and ingrown hairs.
Facial shaving: suitable both for fuzzy hair and for noticeable hairs. Use a clean tool and avoid shaving over irritated skin.
Laser: can suit dark hair, especially when there are many hairs. White or grey hair, on the other hand, does not respond well to most laser treatments.
Electrolysis (electric needle): a permanent hair-removal option that also suits white and light hairs.
Can hair growth be prevented?
Not always. When the cause is a natural hormonal change or a genetic tendency, no regular skincare cream can stop the process completely.
That said, there are medical treatments that can slow hair growth in suitable cases.
It is also important to distinguish between a few individual hairs that appear gradually and a sudden, rapid growth of a lot of facial hair, especially if it is accompanied by hair loss from the scalp, significant acne or a change in the voice. In such cases, it is worth looking into the medical cause.
And what about our skin?
Removing hair from the face can cause redness, irritation and sometimes small pimples, especially as the skin becomes drier or more sensitive over the years.
I prefer to treat hair removal as part of the skincare routine, and not as something to be done in a hurry in front of the mirror.
A clean tool, a gentle hand, suitable moisture and avoiding active acids immediately after hair removal can help keep the skin calm.
And to finish, something small
Not every change that comes with age requires us to fight it.
Sometimes it is a hair on the chin, sometimes a change in the skin's texture, and sometimes something else we suddenly discover in the mirror.
I believe that the better we understand our bodies, the easier it becomes to choose what we want to change, what we want to treat, and what simply doesn't need to bother us.
Because good skincare begins not only with what we apply on the skin, but also with understanding what is happening underneath it.
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