Unit 10 skillS Body hair disorders A ll women have body hair, but 5-10% of them have hirsutism, an excessive amount of unwanted hair in body areas where men typically grow hair face, chest and back. Hirsutism may be caused by unbalances in hormone levels due to: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), which produces too many androgens; thyroid disorders; menopause changes; pregnancy; obesity; tumors that release additional hormones; some medication. Hirsutism must be distinguished from hypertrichosis, which is an excessive hair growth all over the body. Numerous medical conditions can cause body hair loss, too, particularly brow and lash hair loss: eczema, psoriasis, contact and seborrheic dermatitis, thyroid disorders, inflammation caused by vitiligo and Lupus erythematosus. Lash and brow hair loss can also be caused by chemotherapy and by trichotillomania an impulse control disorder to pull out one s hair from the head, brows, or lashes. Alopecia areata an autoimmune disorder in which the body s immune system attacks hair follicles leads to hair loss areas on the body, including eyebrows and other facial hair. Other reasons for body hair loss include stress, which causes fluctuations in the levels of cortisol, and hair removal, particularly tweezing and waxing. 6 back: dorso, schiena chest: petto, torace due to: a causa di to lead to: portare a limb: arto nipple: capezzolo to pull out: strappare sideburn: basetta thigh: coscia tweezing: estrazione con pinzetta unbalance: squilibrio waxing: depilazione con ceretta Some words have been deleted from this medical information article. Complete it with these missing parts. about excess anywhere on the body considered excessive cosmetic and psychologic hormonal disorder male hair growth male hormones pubic area and underarms such as testosterone such as estrogen the balance thick or dark body hair Hairiness Hair growth depends on 1. ..................................... between male and female hormones. Male hormones, 2. ....................................., stimulate the growth of thick, dark hair. Female hormones, 3. ....................................., slow hair growth or make hair finer and lighter-colored. In men, the amount of body hair varies greatly but few men are concerned 4. ..................................... In women, the amount of hair that is 5. ..................................... varies depending on ethnic background and culture. Usually, excess body hair is only a 6. ..................................... concern. However, the cause sometimes is a serious 7. ..................................... 100 Hairiness can be categorised as hirsutism or hypertrichosis. Hirsutism is excessive growth of 8. .................................. in women in areas that are more typical of 9. ...................................... Such locations include the face (on the upper lip, chin, or sideburn area), torso (around the nipples or on the chest, lower abdomen, or back), and limbs (on the shoulders or inner thighs). Hirsutism usually results from high levels of 10. ...................................... which stimulate hair growth in the 11. ...................................... Hirsutism differs from hypertricosis, which occurs in men and women and causes excess hair to grow 12. ......................................