Hirsutism in Women: Effective Therapy that is Safe for Long-Term Use

PREVIEW

How to manage hirsutism in a woman depends on several factors, including the underlying cause, contraceptive needs, and the patient’s preference. To many patients, appearance is the most important consideration. However, the increased risks conveyed by long-term androgen excess are more significant. In this article, Dr Bergfeld describes, with illustrations, the clinical presentation of hirsutism and how to evaluate patients for androgen excess. In addition, she summarizes the various therapeutic approaches that are available, their advantages and limitations, and combinations that have shown the best success.