Agony of out of balance hormones - odd conditions can be treated

Most people find themselves living with certain conditions that they find humiliating when their hormones aren't being in sync with their gender.

This usually causes certain body characteristics usually found in the opposite sex, such as men developing boobs or women growing a beard.

Most sufferers usually soldier through it, with women shaving and men trying their hardest to disguise their chest, and usually have no clue why they may be going through it.

This is why we got Dr Mpho Lesufi, a medical practitioner based in Durban to come to our rescue.

Why do some men develop breasts and some women a beard?

She says it has a lot to do with an imbalance of hormones.

"Men developing breasts is called gynecomastia, and it is usually caused by a hormone imbalance that sees a man's testosterone levels going down, and oestrogen levels shooting up. In some cases, obesity plays a part in a man developing breasts, as fat deposits saturate around the chest area."

Lesufi adds that while there is no danger to having man boobs, as they are commonly called, the real effect is on the sufferer's confidence.

"Most men with this condition tend to have self-esteem issues, as they can be very self-conscious about their chests," Lesufi says.

There are various options for the treatment of man boobs and women beard.

"A mild case of gynecomastia can be easily fixed with hitting the gym and toning up the chest muscles. But I recommend that one gets a full medical exam to determine the root cause of the breasts. Have your doctor rule out any conditions such as lumps, cysts, haematoma or breast cancer. Your doctor can determine if hormone replacement medications is needed for you.

Lesufi adds that once those conditions have been ruled out, surgery is usually recommended.

"A reduction surgery is usually very safe, with a quick recovery time and usually with very minimal scarring."

When it comes to women, Lesufi says symptoms such as hair growth, like women growing a beard, can be a result of androgens hormones being in excess.

"This can be the result of a condition known as the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, which is a hormonal imbalance that affects a woman's ability to fall pregnant, as well as the way she looks. One of the side effects can be excessive facial hair.

"It is when a woman grows cysts on her ovaries. Although not harmful, they usually cause hormonal imbalance."

Just like in men, Lesufi says this can have a severe impact on a woman's self-confidence, worsened by the fact that when they shave the hair off, it usually grows back more aggressively, at times showing razor bumps.

"Most women experience an increase in testosterone levels during menopause. It is advisable to get a full medical examination to get to the root of the problem in order to know how the problem can be treated. Solutions can also include hormone therapy or birth control pills. For body hair, electrolysis is often used to permanently get rid of inconvenient hair," she says.