This archive report was first published on 22 July 2019.
Published on July 22, 2019, a story of women struggling with unwanted hair has come to light. Many women, like Charity, are living with the condition of hirsutism, which causes abnormal male-pattern hair growth.
Charity, now 24, has been dealing with this condition since high school. She recalls the first time she noticed hair on her chin, when her desk mate pointed it out. 'It was extremely embarrassing; especially because of how she did it,' Charity says.
Charity has been shaving and waxing her 'beard' for years, but the hair growth has increased over time. She has had to deal with the embarrassment of having unwanted hair, and the anxiety that comes with it. 'This unwanted excess hair is a source of deep anxiety and has put many a damsel in distress,' Charity says.
Another woman, Brenda, has been dealing with hirsutism since she was 16. She has had to deal with the stigma of having facial hair, and the fear of being judged by others. 'You get stared at. You wear clothes that cover every inch of your skin. You feel awkward. And your self-esteem gets a beating,' Brenda says.
According to Peris Mbuthia, a medical aesthetician and the CEO of Timeless medical spa, most of her clients with unwanted hair are women. 'Most of them, about 90 per cent, are women,' Mbuthia says. 'Most of these women suffer from a condition called hirsutism – abnormal male-pattern hair growth.'
Sheila Wachira, a marriage and relationship psychologist, says that hirsutism can lead to low self-esteem and social stigma. 'In our society hirsutism is not quite a normal thing. A lady will, therefore, face discriminative behaviour: like being stared at or being avoided by men,' Wachira says.
