Hi everybody,
I have a problem with lanugo hair all over my body. I am a girl 18 and I have normal weight - BMI 20 (I read it can appears on those with anorexia). It makes me really desperate, I would not go to a swimming pool with friends, I would not go for a date, I am afraid to go to a clothes room when I have gym at school, when sb is looking at me I am still wondering if he/she notices these hair, hate going out during a day ...
From what I understand there is just one method which could destroy these kind of hair - electrolysis. But could it be used on whole body? Is it not the needle too big for this type of hair? I am willing to spend hundreds of hours, but would not it take my whole life?
Have anybody ever heard what can cause lanugo on adult? (apart of anorexia) Do I have any chance to get rid of that?
I will be grateful for any advice, thank You very much

We all have vellus hair. It's hard to answer your question because I can't see you. What you view as abnormal, may be totally normal and actually unnoticable to others around you.

For fine hair, or any hair, electrolysis can permanently eliminate them. However, for as many hairs as you describe, it will take along time and will require much effort on your part. We always advise people to start with the area that bothers them the most and stay focused until it is under control, then move forward to another area. For a lot of hair, definitely find a skilled flash, MicroFlash or PicoFlash thermolysis electrologist who uses auto-sensor mode AND who has the kind of magnification that allows them to SEE the hair,no matter how small.

Electrologists should have all probe sizes in their arsenal. Probe diameter should match the diameter of the hair that the electrolgist is working on in a particular area.

Your hairs could be the result of anorexia nervosa and the hormonal imbalance that comes with that, certain medications, and just plain old heredity, meaning you are healthy and this hair is normal for you because of your genetic make up. If this is problem for you now, but wasn't before, then you should see a physician just to make sure there is nothing organically wrong to cause this fine hair all over your body.

There are androgen blockers that can prevent future hair from growing, but you need a medical evaluation. Don't try to medicate yourself with online medications. Oh....! and

Welcome to hairtell.

Dee

Thank You Dee,

I am sure it is not normal, my hair is 0,5-1 cm long, thin, unpigmented but very noticeable on daylight. I have never observed this on others.

I have visited a few doctors. They found me little higher testosterone and prescribed me hormonal contraception, I have been taking these pills for a few years and my hormones are normal now. No one advices me what else I could do.

Family from my motherīs side does not have almost any hair. My dad is quite hairy, but his mother is almost hairless and my sister has normal hair. So I do not think it is heredity. It is just me unsuccessful done:(

It was yesterday I discovered it can be caused by anorexia. I thought about it a lot. Maybe this is my case. When I was young (11) I was really fat and everybody was making jokes of me. So I restricted my food and became very thin. I would never consider this to be anorexia, but maybe it was... I have eating disorders and digestions trouble until now. Maybe my body is scared that I will lose a weight again and that is why I still have this terrible hair...
Oh, I will never be on diet again!

I am from Europe and there is not many skilled electrologist. I would have to travel and it is much more expensive then I could afford... But I would like to buy a home-use electrolysis, magnificent glasses and Richards and Meharg's textbook as is recommended on hairfacts.com. Just hope I will not hurt myself and make it worse:(

Before you do anything about the unwanted hair, please find some help for the anorexia. I have a family member who almost died (twice) from it, survived but has destroyed her body in the process. She is only 60 but is in the condition of a 90 year old. It is a terrible way to go, and a terrible way to have to live.

Before you go the DIY electrolysis route, see if you can find a pro where you are. If you let us know where you are generally, we might be able to find one for you. Also remember the DIY electrolysis route is a heavy commitment of time and money, so make sure you are willing to dow hat it takes before you go down that route.

I have normal weight for a few years now. Today I learnt that hair caused by anorexia quickly disappear when you start to weight and eat normal, so it wont be my case...
Now I assume it is not anorexia, not caused hereditary or by hormones, my thyroid is also all right. So the only thing which has stayed is tumor. I am going to visit a "gastroenterologist" (sorry, I do not know if it is the right expression in English, but it is not in my dictionary). Maybe I have cancer and it has connection with my digestive troubles as well.
Wow, thats a paradox! Going to a doctor and hoping he will find a tumor in my body... Never thought sb could wish that. But if he will find it and cut it off, then maybe I will be able to lead normal life...

The body produces this extra hair in anorexic people as a protection mechanism. Some of it will go away, but some may still remain and will need electrolysis. Once you are healthy for a good year at least or more, you'll start noticing the difference more.

You can get hormonal testing, but you should also remember that being only 18 years old, you're still goign through puberty. So you are just developing hair that you would normally. It usually lasts until around 25-26 yrs old at least. Hormonal issues are also hard to detect and you need it to be done by a good endocrinologist specialist specializing in PCOS.

Also, consider the fact that the delicate balances in your body were probably messed up during the anorexic period. So it takes a while and lots of effort to get yourself back to normal. My friend who went through it got ovaric cysts for example, which can contribute to the hair issue. It usually takes most anorexic patients years to get back on track completely and get their body completely stable and healthy. And many still have urges throughout their lives. Please make sure to take care of your general health and everything else will follow.

I found some photos of a girl, which has similar hair like I have

Have a look: http://www.girlswithhairyarms.net/preview/update/images/Camila.JPG

What do you think about it? She is slender, but does not look like anorexic

It's impossible to tell if someone actually looks anorexic unless they're in a really bad state. Many people with the disease are not even thin at all.

Hair is either hereditary, caused by hormonal issues or thyroid issues, or by certain medications or diseases.

ACTUALLY one of the necessary but not sufficient diagnostic criteria for anorexia is BMI below 17.5.
So if a person is not at least THAT skinny, he/she is not anorexic.
He/she might have an eating disorder but it is not anorexia.
On the other hand someone might have a very low BMI not due to any kind of eating disorder but due to body type (ectomorphic) or overly active thyroid, or illness, or just fast metabolism.

I would not consider this lanugo hair. I would call this accelerated vellus and terminal hair.

Even though you do not see this in your immediate family, this could be hereditary. The photos you posted look just like my daughter. Everyone thinks that she is Swedish, but she has German (grandfathers) and Welch/Scots/Irish (grandmothers) ancestory from both sides of her family. Of those 4 grandparents, my father had excessively long hair on his body.

Please, no one shoot me, but have you considered waxing? Waxing can reduce the hair to some degree.

Electrolysis will remove it permanently. Most electrologists can help you figure out a plan to work around waxing, but once a new area is being treated with electrolysis, waxing of that area ceases.