Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat It IsSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentCoping
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What It Is
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Coping
Hypertrichosis describes abnormal, often excessivehair growthanywhere on the body. It can affect both males and females. In severe cases, the whole body may be covered in thick hair. It is sometimes also called “werewolf syndrome.” Hypertrichosis differs from hirsutism, which is a condition that causes females to experience abnormal hair growth in a male-like pattern.
There are different forms of hypertrichosis. A person can be born with hypertrichosis (the congenital form) or get it later in life as a result of another medical condition (the acquired form).
This article discusses hypertrichosis and its causes. It also looks at some of the ways the condition is treated.
Alice Doherty, the only person diagnosed with congenital hypertrichosis lanuginosa in the United States (credit: Wiki Commons).
What Is Hypertrichosis?
Hypertrichosis is a condition that causes abnormal hair growth. People with hypertrichosis may grow excessive amounts of hair anywhere on the body. The condition can affect males and females.
In rare cases, a person can be born with this condition. This is called congenital hypertrichosis. There are fewer than 50 documented cases of congenital hypertrichosis.
All forms of the condition have perplexed medical professionals throughout history. Individual cases were documented as early as the Middle Ages. Several instances of hypertrichosis in families were recorded throughout Europe, Asia, and North America well into the 20th century. At least one case of congenital hypertrichosis has been diagnosed since the mid-2000s.
Research on hypertrichosis is somewhat limited because so few cases have been diagnosed. Some studies are nearly a century old. While the cause may be elusive, cosmetic technology, especially hair removal, can treat even severe forms of the condition.
Hypertrichosis vs. Hirsutism
Hypertrichosis Symptoms
The Structure and Function of Different Hair Types
A person can either be born with the condition or acquire it later in life.
Congenital Hypertrichosis
There are three types of hypertrichosis a person can be born with.
Acquired Hypertrichosis
Certain medical conditions can causeacquired hypertrichosis.Depending on the cause, this form can be relatively mild or as severe as congenital forms. A person with acquired hypertrichosis can experience two kinds of hair growth: vellus or terminal.
Other Symptoms
In addition to abnormal amounts or patterns of hair growth, many people with hypertrichosis have problems with their oral health. If you have the congenital form of the condition you’re more likely to have a condition called gingival hyperplasia which causes enlarged gums that may be prone to bleeding. Teeth of babies born with hypertrichosis and gingival hyperplasia may come in late or fail to come in at all.
What Causes Hypertrichosis?
Researchers aren’t exactly sure why and how the various forms of hypertrichosis occur, but there have been several studies exploring the possibility of a genetic cause.
In 2011, a team of researchers implicated a specific gene that controls hair growth during fetal development.Since some cases have occurred within families, it seems likely that genes are involved.
Several health conditions are known to cause abnormal hair growth, including:
Several classes of drugs have been associated with acquired hypertrichosis, including steroids, anticonvulsants, vasodilators, anti-inflammatory medications, and photosensitizers.
Medications that may cause abnormal hair growth include:
How Hypertrichosis Is Diagnosed
Hypertrichosis is very rare. Based on the diagnosed cases, it seems to affect both biological sexes equally.
If the abnormal hair growth is severe and begins in childhood, a diagnosis of congenital hypertrichosis is fairly simple. If there is also a family history of similar symptoms, this can also help suggest the diagnosis.
In more subtle cases, doctors can use a microscope to look at samples of a person’s hair to see if the excessive and abnormal growth patterns are consistent with hypertrichosis.
More effort may go into finding the cause and appropriate course of treatment in cases of acquired hypertrichosis.
Blood tests can be useful to identify abnormal testosterone levels or other hormonal imbalances. If a doctor suspects an underlying health condition like thyroid disease or cancer, imaging tests like ultrasounds may be necessary.Pelvic and transvaginal ultrasounds can be helpful if looking forsigns of PCOS,which is a common cause of hirsutism.
If doctors suspect an inherited condition such as Cornelia de Lange syndrome or Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome,genetic testsmay be required.
Treatment Options
There is no cure for hypertrichosis, but knowing whether it’s congenital or acquired can help doctors choose a treatment.If abnormal hair growth is due to another condition, managing the underlying medical disorder is the first-line treatment.
People with severe hypertrichosis may find it difficult, overwhelming, expensive, and painful to have abnormal hair growth routinely plucked, shaved, bleached, or waxed. Even for people who do not have abnormal hair growth, these measures are only temporary. They usually last, at most, a few weeks.
Laser hair removalis a longer-lasting option but typically requires more than one session. It can be expensive, and may not work well on certain types of hair.
Electrolysisis the FDA-approved treatment for permanent hair removal. While the method does remove the hair permanently, electrolysis treatments can be painful and expensive.
People who have widespread hypertrichosis may need to use more than one hair removal method. They may also need to use them repeatedly for treatment to be effective. The hair on one area of the body may not be removed well—or safely—using certain methods. Certain areas of the body may also be too sensitive for some methods or more likely tobecome infected.
Since there have been so few cases of hypertrichosis diagnosed, the research on treatments for severe forms of the condition is limited. People with milder forms can usually find a hair removal method that suits their needs and preferences, though it may take some trial and error.
Are There Pain-Free Ways to Remove Hair?
Coping With Hypertrichosis
People with hypertrichosis may experience anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and poor body image as a result of their condition.
Hypertrichosis can have a detrimental effect on a person’s social life. People of any age with the condition,but particularly children, may resist activities such as swimming or changing in the school locker room due to anxiety about their appearance. The anxiety may result in these children missing out on special events with their peers both at school and in the community, such as birthday parties and team sports.
Teenagers with hypertrichosis are already dealing with hormonal and social changes that come with their age, so they may be more susceptible to low self-esteem, poor body image, and depression associated with their condition.
Young people with hypertrichosis and their families can benefit from medical, social, and mental health resources. Support groups, therapy, and antidepressant medications can be very helpful for people with any form of hypertrichosis if they find the experience of living with the condition distressing but may be especially important for helping children and young adults learn coping skills they can use throughout their life.
Summary
Hypertrichosis is a rare disorder that causes abnormal, sometimes excessive, hair growth all over the body. People can be born with the condition or develop it later in life due to a medical disorder or certain medications.
There is no cure for the condition but depending on the cause, there are different ways to manage it. Addressing the underlying cause or changing medications is usually enough to resolve the hair growth.
For people who are born with hypertrichosis, especially severe forms, there isn’t typically a one-time treatment, though hair removal methods like waxing and electrolysis can help.
How Your Hair Changes With Age
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
De raeve L, Keymolen K.Congenital hypertrichosis lanuginosa in a father and son.Arch Dermatol. 2011;147(6):746-7. doi:10.1001/archdermatol.2011.137
Kazandjieva J, Stefanova E, Todorova Z, Nikolova Gergovska M, Semkova K.Congenital generalized hypertrichosis terminalis with gingival hyperplasia and a coarse face: a case report.Serbian Journal of Dermatology and Venereology. 2016;8(1):5-12. doi:10.1515/sjdv-2016-0001
Saleh D, Cook C.Hypertrichosis. StatPearls Publishing.
Hussein RN, Hamdi KIA, Mansour AA.The contribution of new areas to the total hirsutism scores in Basrah Hirsute women.Diseases. 2017;27;5(4):32. doi:10.3390/diseases5040032
National Institute of Health: Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center.Gingival fibromatosis with hypertrichosis.
Pavone P, Praticò AD, Falsaperla R, et al.Congenital generalized hypertrichosis: the skin as a clue to complex malformation syndromes.Ital J Pediatr.2015;41:55. doi:10.1186/s13052-015-0161-3
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
