Is That Random, Stray Body Hair Due to Your Period - or Something More Serious?
Let's just get right to it: I'm a very hairy person, and I'm cool with that. I'm used to having hair on my head and under my armpits. It surrounds my nipples and other netherbits. It even creeps its way down to my toes. I have so much hair that I've learned to give zero f*cks over how to get rid of it and just let it do its thing instead. That was, until this week, when I noticed a hair spring up somewhere I'd definitely never seen before: on my neck.
The sensation of that little sucker was so new and strange that it tested my hard-earned hair apathy. Many couples spend their nights in cuddling in front of a binge-worthy show; my boyfriend and I spent a recent Tuesday evening debating how to pluck out my neck hair. Ultimately, we did — and discovered it was connected to yet another single strand hiding underneath it.
Because I can't let things go (or so says my therapist — we're working on it), I decided to find out once and for all: what causes us to grow random, stray body hairs? Should I be worried? Keep reading to learn probably more than you ever want to know about those pesky random strands.
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As it turns out, even seemingly "random" strays are nothing out of the ordinary. "We are mammals and our bodies are covered with hair," said dermatologist Dr. Purvisha Patel, MD. "There are hormone receptors attached to each oil gland and hair follicle of our bodies."
When you have a period, your hormones flux and change. (You probably know that affects your skin because you might be used to your skin getting oily or dry around that time of the month.) According to Dr. Patel, those same changes also impact your hair follicles. When you ovulate, your body will produce slightly more testosterone, which might override the estrogen receptors that regulate how much hair you grow. "That means you could see more hair in areas such as the upper lip, chin, neck, or lower belly button," Dr. Patel said.
According to dermatologist Dr. Sara Greer, MD, other hormonal factors such as pregnancy, menopause, and stopping or starting birth control may also contribute to stray hairs. "Even extreme stress could cause it," she added.
Sometimes, a stray hair can be more than just a sign that your period is on its way. "If the hair is darker and coarser than your natural color, it could mean you have a chronic hormone abnormality, which is most commonly polycistic ovary disease (PCOS)," said dermatologist Dr. David Lortscher, MD. This hormone disorder affects one in 15 women and is caused when ovaries are enlarged by cysts. If you notice your stray hairs popping up in conjunction with other PCOS symptoms like acne, a deepening of your voice, or irregular periods, call your doctor to treat it.
According to dermatologist Dr. Stephanie Daniel, MD, "If your hair is secondary to a hormone problem such as PCOS, it will be difficult to get rid of without addressing the underlying hormonal issue first."
If your stray hair gets friends — that is, if you start growing a patch of body hair out of nowhere — this could be a warning sign that something is not right. "A sudden new growth of hair in a specific area may mean that there is an underlying medical condition triggering new, aberrant hair growth," said dermatologist Dr. Linda Honet, MD. Though it's not common, this sudden hair growth in women could be a sign of a tumor in the adrenal gland or ovary.
If you have a mole that's suddenly sprouted a friendly strand, you're in good company — dermatologists say that's a common experience. "Typically, moles that are raised up from the skin and have been present on your body for some time will have hair growth," said Dr. Greer. Luckily, hair growth alone is not a sign that your mole is dangerous, but if you notice it in tandem with your mole changing color, bleeding, or increasing in size, you might be showing symptoms of skin cancer. To be safe, consult a dermatologist as soon as you can.
As previously mentioned, stray hairs will not budge until the underlying hormonal issue is resolved. That said, if you need to get the strand the hell off your face or body, there is nothing wrong with using a pair of tweezers, or even your fingers, to gently pluck it out. That said, do so at your own risk. According to dermatologist Dr. Lauren Meshkov Bonati, MD, "Pulling out hair on your own may leave scars or dark marks that are difficult to treat later on, especially if you have a darker skin tone."
