Bare-Faced

Demand for facial hair removal is driving the trend for dermaplaning, but should you shave your face? The girl-tache is nothing new, but in the era of xxx Brazilians, women are bringing facial hair out of the shadows.

Excessive hair growth, also known as hirsutism, is a condition defined by excess hair growth in the face and on the chest, abdomen and thighs according to research presented at Orebro University, Sweden.

It affects at least five per cent of the female population and it means that women develop hair on parts of their bodies – where men normally grow hair. The most common cause is polycystic ovary syndrome, a condition where a high number of cysts are formed. Abnormally high levels of the 'masculinising' androgen hormones are thought to enable excess hair growth, leading researchers to investigate treatments that reduce androgen levels. One natural method may be drinking spearmint tea according to research published in Phytotherapy Drinking two cups of spearmint tea a day for five days could reduce the level of androgens in women with hirsutism, experts found.

Current therapies use either oral contraceptives to suppress androgen production, or medications such as spironolactone that prevent the body responding to androgen according to a spokesman from Turkey’s Suleyman Demirel University.

Conventional cosmetic treatments include IPL and laser, which are contraindicated for certain skin types, while waxing remains the dominant salon and DIY treatment approach.

But a treatment that has been likened to shaving is promising to improve outcomes for women with unwanted hair, which is most common above the upper lip (girltache) and can form a sort of ‘beard’.