Hirsutism

Abstract

There are great differences in both the ‘normal’ amount of hair and the perception of how much hair is attractive. In Westernized societies the absence of visible hair is considered to be a prerequisite of beauty. The Japanese and Oriental groups have much less facial and body hair than the Mediterranean and Indian races. In anorexia nervosa the body becomes covered in soft light hairs (lanugo), similar to that seen in newborn babies; this must not be confused with the abnormal hair growth which is being considered in this chapter.