Do I have hirsutism, or just coarse hair?

Question

I'm not sure whether I have hirsutism, or just a lot of coarse hair due to genetics. I don't want to bother the doc with my problem if it's just the latter.
I don't have much of a mustache - I do some plucking, but the hair is fine and not very dark.
I have several patches of coarse, dark, beard-like hair on my chin. I also have a band of dark, fairly long, fine hair from my chest to my pubis.
My back is not very hairy, except for my lower back / butt - it's not coarse, but long and dark.
My leg hair is very dark and coarse.
Anyway, it makes for a lot of plucking, shaving, and waxing, and I grow tiresome. If any treatment is available for hirsutism is that is what I have, I'd like to look into it.

Answer 1

I know you don't want to bother your doctor but I would recommend seeing your doctor for further evaluation of the situation. It sounds like you have a bit of excess hair growth going on in addition to the coarseness of the hair. Both of these symptoms can be indicative of a hormone imbalance: excess hair can mean a hormone imbalance called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. The coarse hair can be a symptom of a thyroid problem.

To learn more about Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome please check out: http://www.pcosupport.org