Top 3 Things to Know if Chin Hairs Are Knocking Your Confidence | Ep. 94

Facial hair growth in women isn't random but a sign of hormone imbalance that should be addressed at its root cause to prevent worsening over time. 

• Facial hair often indicates high androgens (testosterone, DHT) which can cause irregular periods, acne, and scalp hair thinning
• Contributing factors include genetics, stress, diet, medications, PCOS, and insulin resistance 
• Androgens and insulin resistance create a problematic cycle that reinforces each other
• Balanced meals, strength training, and reduced sugar intake can help break this cycle
• Consider supplements including inositol, zinc, magnesium, and spearmint tea
• Understanding your personal hormone picture is crucial before starting any supplement regimen
• Exercise, stress reduction, and blood sugar regulation are universally beneficial approaches

Transcript

Chin Hair as a Hormonal Signal

Speaker 1 0:00

Now there are a lot of women out there who are just plucking or waxing their chin hairs without realizing that facial hair growth is actually a sign , a clue about what's going on with their hormones . And if you aren't addressing the root cause and understanding the root cause , it is likely to get worse over time . Now , that is why today , I'm sharing the top three things that you should know . If these annoying chin hairs are knocking your confidence . Let's dive in . Welcome to I'm Hormonal , your source of information about women's hormone health and how to support your body . Naturally , I'm your host , bridget Walton , and I'm a certified functional hormone specialist and menstrual cycle coach . I am on a mission to hold these hormone conversations with as many menstruators as possible , because you deserve easier access to accurate information about what's up with your unruly menstrual cycle and with your fertility mysteries . Don't you think it's time that we figure this out once and for all ? Hey there , friend , welcome to today's episode of I'm Hormonal . I'm your host , bridget Walton , and I am so excited to have you here with me today to be talking about chin hairs of all things . As we get older , we are likely to have them at some point in our life , but if you are just thinking , wow , I'm way too young to be having these thick , like dark chin hairs . What does this mean ? What can I do about it ? What should I make of this , then you are in the right place . Also , if you think , well , I would kind of love to avoid that situation . What can I , what should I know now ? Then you're still in the right place . I even this morning I was talking to my mom on the phone and she says how do you even decide what to talk about when you do a podcast episode ? How do you come up with things to talk about ? And I said , well , what would you want to hear if you were listening to a podcast episode and what would you want to learn ? And she says , well , you know , I would want to learn what I can do about these damn chin hairs that keep popping up . So I said that's the magic , mom , that's , that's the topic . Then this is how we do it . So shout out to mom Hi , if you're listening . But also for everybody else who is not my mom , really grateful to have you listening today , especially if today's your first time listening .

Speaker 1 2:23

I hope that this podcast is a really solid resource for you , helping you to understand what's going on with your body , what's going on with your cycle , how you can support better , more balanced hormones and also helping to really reinforce the fact that you totally can change what's going on with your hormones by making different shifts in your lifestyle , in your habits , that are for the better . You just got to know where to start and really focus on the root cause of what's going on . Let's go ahead and dive into the first of three things I want you to know , which is that facial hair like this isn't random . It is a sign of some sort of hormone imbalance . Now , that doesn't have to be a super grave , dire

Facial Hair Causes and Contributing Factors

Speaker 1 3:09

thing , but regardless , just knowing that , okay , something is a little bit off balance . What is off balance and how can you address that ? Through diet and lifestyle changes . Now , oftentimes the imbalance would be high or relatively high androgens .

Speaker 1 3:29

Androgens are hormones like testosterone , or maybe you've heard of DHT . They are the I'm doing air quotes over here classically male hormones , but they're definitely essential and necessary in female bodies too . However , again , when they are relatively high or in excess , that can result in experiences like facial hair growth , like irregular periods . It can look like acne . It can also certainly impact ovulation or cycle regularity . But coming back to our topic for today of chin hair growth , if that's something that you're experiencing , then high androgens like testosterone or DHT is possibly a part of that picture .

Speaker 1 4:19

Now , if you're listening and you're thinking well , what about with PCOS ? Maybe you have PCOS and you know that facial hair growth is common with PCOS then you are spot on , because high , or relatively high , androgens is characteristic of PCOS too . It's also worth mentioning that other factors could be your genetics , could be stress , could be your diet , maybe medication I mentioned PCOS and then also insulin resistance . These are all factors that contribute to what is going on with your androgens . I mean , really what's going on with all of your hormones ? But especially when you're thinking of how can I get these androgens back down into a more normal level , thinking , okay , let's lower or eliminate stress and stressors , let's eliminate processed food , high sugar stuff , eliminate , or rather talk to your doctor about any medications that could be contributing to higher levels of androgens . If you have PCOS , then addressing the root cause of that PCOS is going to be a dope place for you to start . And then not a whole lot that we can do about genetics , of course , but there is a whole lot that you can do about insulin resistance and understanding how you can support more stable blood sugars . So those are a couple of parts , a couple of stars in this constellation of high androgens .

Speaker 1 5:58

I am thinking too I didn't mention this a second ago , but sometimes , if you are having thinner hair on your scalp too , that could be a signal of higher , relatively

Androgens and Insulin Resistance Connection

Speaker 1 6:05

high androgens . So it is this additional hair on your chin and thinner hair on your scalp . Now there also are other causes of hair loss on the scalp . So that is certainly not the only thing . Right , but something to consider . Right , but something to consider .

Speaker 1 6:29

I'm not going to talk at great depth about menopause today or that phase of life , but if you're thinking of your mom or your aunts or your grandma or other gals in your life who are of that age , then you might remember them saying something about chin hairs or thinning hair on their head . It's kind of the same picture , or it's a similar picture , in that during that phase of life you are relatively androgen dominant , in that your levels of testosterone are higher than what's going on with your estrogen and progesterone , and so that can result in these differences or changes in hair growth or hair loss and also coming back to , like , midsection weight retention . That's also very much tied to androgens and insulin resistance . So I mentioned that just as a little bit of food for thought . That might be something you are more aware of , like in the larger sphere of what are other women around you experiencing . And just tying that back to again . Oh okay , our levels of androgens in our life just change , right , as we get older , those levels will go down , but they still can be higher , and I should say higher than estrogen and progesterone .

Speaker 1 7:45

I do think for most folks out there , it is worth doing the testing to understand exactly what's happening hormonally , get the quantifiables , get the lab work done to understand what your androgen levels look like , so you know that you're addressing the right , best root cause . Also , you probably don't need me to tell you that if you have facial hair like this , if you have acne , if you have these things that are more visual , right , of course there are side effects that impact your energy levels etc . But since these are more things you can see on the outside , so if you're like me when I had acne back in the day , you're like let's get this over as soon as possible and figure out what's going on here . So , so , anyway , that is all to say that this is certainly this is certainly lab work that you could do , in part at least , with your primary care provider , right , when you go and have your panels run , your your annual checkup , sometimes they will do a testosterone test or can at least request it . When I'm working one-on-one with clients , this is something that we monitor through the Dutch test . That is the hormone panel that I use with my clients . So there are a couple of different ways for you to do it , depending on what fits your budget , your lifestyle , who you're working with , of course , but know that there are options out there , and getting the quantifiables on it could be a really helpful next step in the process for you in figuring out a resolution .

Speaker 1 9:13

Now let's move on to

Understanding Your Personal Hormone Picture

Speaker 1 9:15

number two of the three things that I want you to know , which is that androgens and insulin resistance are besties , but in the bad way . I mentioned midsection weight gain a minute ago , kind of like foreshadowing for this , but the point here , or what I want to convey to you , is that insulin resistance can result in higher levels of androgens . Also , higher androgen levels can further exacerbate insulin resistance . Now again , this is something that is fixable . This is something that you can totally make progress towards through simple or relatively simple changes in your diet and lifestyle . But this is all to say that if you know that you're having troubles with insulin , if you have really irregular energy throughout the day , if you are having irregular cycles that also can signal high androgens , then these two things are going to go hand in hand . But starting with practical changes like focusing on getting more balanced meals meaning protein and fat forward , being really conscious about what sort of processed sugars or added sugars you're bringing into your body , that'll be a great first step . Also , knowing that strength training will be good for both your blood sugar levels and for your androgen levels , and then let me just say it one more time reducing sugar spikes without any sort of extreme restriction , that will be really important . So first step would be just monitoring and becoming aware of how much sugar are you consuming on a day-to-day or week-to-week basis and then making a plan that is realistic for you , or working with somebody like a coach or nutritionist to figure out how you can create a plan that works for you and be accountable to it and make it really work for your lifestyle . Those are some great places to start .

Speaker 1 11:18

The third topic that I want to talk about in just a moment will be related to supplements , but hang on with me for a minute . I want to walk through this with you kind of story style , to make it really make sense for you . So , if you are somebody who has excess chin hair , you want to start thinking through okay , well , what do I already know about what's going on with my hormones ? Do I already recognize that my cycle is irregular ? I can't predict my next period . How are your stress levels ? Do you have really high stress levels , not just mental or emotional stress , but also are you doing really intense workouts ? Are you eating a lot of processed sugars ? Are you getting adequate sleep ? Then , are there any medications that you're taking that could be impacting what's going on with your sex hormones ?

Speaker 1 12:14

Lastly , thinking , okay , what do I know about blood sugar regulation ? Best practices , are those things that you implement ? And just reflecting on , okay , let me get a good picture here of how these factors look for me in my life . Of course , also , you'll want to put together this puzzle of when did these changes start for you ? Did it start after you finished hormonal birth control . Did it start after you had a child ? Did it start at a certain age ? Right , you turned 35 and these hairs popped up . So really putting together what that picture is for you and then thinking , okay , well , now that you , etc .

Speaker 1 13:01

When androgens are high , that will also result many times in insulin resistance too . But let me remind you that there's a lot that you can do to focus on it , and let's look at supplements in just a moment here . I guess that wasn't even so much a story , but I just wanted you to be able to think of okay , what are the things that

Effective Supplements for Balancing Androgens

Speaker 1 13:30

are relevant in my life ? How can you start thinking through the process of what to do next ? What focus areas are going to be top of mind for you to zoom in on ? So , anyway , hopefully that was a helpful little recap before .

Speaker 1 13:46

Now let's take a look at supplements , and I want to reiterate to you , too , that supplements can be helpful , but only if you are targeting the right root cause . So , making sure that you understand what the root cause is . Working with a practitioner , working with me , working with somebody to say , okay , this is exactly what's going on with me . Do whatever testing that might be helpful and supportive for you and then using the right supplements to support your end goal . Okay , now I'm off my sort of disclaimer soapbox .

Speaker 1 14:22

Here are the couple of supplements that are commonly used to support your body when you have excess androgens . The first one that I want to note is inositol . Now , inositol is good for supporting insulin sensitivity , also supportive of normal androgen levels . Also supportive of normal androgen levels . This is something that , if you have PCOS , could be a part of , or rather , could be something that is familiar to you . There are different kinds of inositol right , there's myo-inositol and d-chiro-inositol . So if you are going to be doing some research on your own , then just know that there are different kinds . You want to find a supplement that has them in the right ratio to each other , so it'd be about a 40 to 1 ratio , which is the natural balance or the natural ratio that they exist in your body . So inositol is the first one . Zinc is another mineral that is anti-angiogenic and it also will support healthy skin and hair growth .

Speaker 1 15:28

Third , magnesium Magnesium is the hero of all of the supplements . If you've been listening for a minute or if you've been listening to other wellness podcasts , and I'm sure you've heard about magnesium a lot . But magnesium can be supportive of ideal stress levels in the body , or rather , like reducing stress , supportive of your HPA access . So that's why this can be influential , right , if stress levels are high , that can push up androgen levels . It also can be supportive of more stable blood sugar levels . So that's going to be helpful here in keeping that stress down and not giving your androgens an excuse to be particularly high .

Speaker 1 16:12

I want to mention , too , not that this is related to supplements , but testosterone is produced in our ovaries right , ovaries for those who are for women , and , of course , testes for males . But sometimes we just think of testosterone as being produced and like we don't know , because we're like I don't know , I have ovaries that make estrogen . But just note to self , your ovaries are also the organs that produce testosterone . Now , fourth and final , I want to mention spearmint tea . This is one that is pretty accessible . Right To know that spearmint can be supportive of normal androgen levels as well , so that might be something that you feel more comfortable with getting into . Again , talk through all of these things with your coach or practitioner or provider to make sure that it's a good fit for you . But inositol , zinc , magnesium and spearmint tea . Those are four areas to start when you're considering what might be a good fit for you .

Speaker 1 17:19

I do want to emphasize again , though it's not a one size fits all . Taking random ones without knowing your unique hormonal picture can definitely be frustrating , and I don't want you to be wasting more and more money . I hear that from my clients all the time . They're just feel like they're throwing away money

Next Steps and Episode Wrap-up

Speaker 1 17:35

on supplements , just trying different things . So that's why having a clear , personalized plan can really make all of the difference . What is more of a one size fits all , though ? Right If you're like well , that's not . That's not a resource I have available to me right now . Something that is more one size fits all would be moving your body and exercising , if that's accessible for you , lowering your stress levels and eliminating or decreasing stressors in your life , and then also learning about blood sugar regulation All of these things which you can learn about here on . I'm Hormonal , so you're in the right spot Now .

Speaker 1 18:12

If you are tired of wondering what's going on with your hormones and you want a really clear , step-by-step plan to balance them and get rid of your chin hair , then that's exactly what I help women do in my one-on-one coaching . You don't have to guess your way through this . I've got you . Take me up on my offer for a free consult call . You can find the link in the show notes to book that call . You can also connect with me on Instagram at Bridget Walton , and I would love to learn more about your goals , learn more about what you have been working through and help you understand how I can support you in getting you to that goal . Really , though , that's all I've got for you guys today In recap , or in summary .

Speaker 1 18:55

One your chin hair is not just random . It can be a sign of hormone imbalance . There's some more investigating to be done there . Two androgens and insulin resistance are best friends , and not in the good way . And then three supplements . They can be really helpful , but only if you are targeting the right root cause . So come back and check out what we've got going on .

Speaker 1 19:20

On Thursday , I'm going to be talking about five signs of high testosterone , so if you're thinking okay , some of what you said today , bridget , resonates with me . We'll come back on Thursday for a mini episode where we will talk a little bit more through what are signs of high androgens . Thanks again for listening . I really appreciate you guys so much and I will look forward to seeing you on the next one . I appreciate you guys so much and I will look forward to seeing you on the next one .

Speaker 1 19:49

If you loved today's episode and got something good out of it , make sure you subscribe so that these episodes show up automatically in your feed . No work needed on your side , let's put it on autopilot . As always , I need to give you my reminder that the information I share with you here is for educational purposes only , and it should not be used as a replacement for medical advice or diagnosis . Now , if you are , on the other hand , in the market for some one-on-one support , then I would love for you to take me up on my offer for a free strategy call . You can find these links and more in the show notes .