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Beauty

10th Jul 2016

Here’s what causes nipple hair here’s how to get rid of it (if you so choose)

Cassie Delaney

Being a woman is serious tough going at the best of times. We can’t eat as much as men, we have hormones flying all over the place and we’ve too many clothes to choose from.

There’s also a crazy amount of taboos that happen to our hormonal bodies that we don’t talk about and one of them is nipple hair.

*GASP*

But look, here’s the truth, if you have nipple hair, you’re amongst 30% of the population.

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According to 007b.com, many women have some hairs around the nipple (on the areola). This is perfectly normal because simply there are hair follicles in the areola and from hair follicles, hair grows. It’s completely natural.

According to Medguidance.com the hair is just a result of hormonal fluctuations and there’s absolutely nothing to be concerned about.

“Sometimes women develop a few long hairs around the nipple, and this is usually associated with hormonal changes related to puberty, menstruation, pregnancy and menopause. During these periods in a woman’s life, fluctuations in hormonal levels occur, affecting hair growth. The use of birth control pills can also affect hormonal levels and can cause hair growth around the nipples. These are all normal changes and should not be a cause for worry.”

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Conditions like Polycystic ovary syndrome and Cushing syndrome (exposure to high levels of the cortisol hormone) can cause the growth but for the most part the hairs are not indicative of any medical issue.

If you chose to remove them, tweezing them may result in a thicker growth back but as long as you’re gentle with the skin and not forceful this method is fine. Trimming the hairs with a scissors is also recommended.

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Other recommendations include:

  • Using chemical depilatories in the form of gels, creams, or lotions.
  • Electrolysis is a permanent hair removal method which is done professionally and involves destroying the hair follicles underneath the skin.
  • Laser removal involves exposing the hair roots to pulsed light or laser therapy.
  • Hormonal treatment or use of oral contraceptives can help treat hormonal imbalances causing excessive hair growth.