The endocrine system is most susceptible to stress, nervous disorder, dietary, and hereditary conditions. They all go together, but most important of all are medications, which can often be the direct cause of an unwanted hair problem. If a patient has an illness he or she is prescribed a medication; for instance, cortisone, used to relieve arthritis and inflammation of the joints and muscles. Granted, the patient has relief, but the end result is more unwanted hair.

More conservative therapies could be considered, such as physical therapy, myotherapy, massage therapy, or diet and relaxation. In some cases, medication is the only alternative. There are certain medications, which can control the endocrine disorder, but then all medications have side effects and although some people tolerate them well, they can develop other medical problems from them. For instance, blood irregularities; menstruation problems, spot bleeding and fluid retention may occur, which require other medications to compensate for them. Before you know it, the patient is on three or four different types of medications and the body's delicate system is compromised, and that leads to more complications. Therefore, they may eventually have poor diet, stress, and anxiety, weight gain or loss, fluid retention and unwanted hair problems.

1. Menopause. The menopausal patient status should always be recorded.  The menopausal condition is often the precursor to unwanted facial hair problem. 
   
   
2. Post menopause. When a woman is past menopause, the ovaries' function decreases. With decreased estrogen, the androgen or male hormones in the body do not increase although they can become predominant. This results in male secondary-sex characteristics; unwanted facial and body hair; certain post-menopausal conditions such as bone loss through calcium depletion; and drying and wrinkling of the skin. Estrogen-replacement therapy can relieve and improve the symptoms. This therapy will not make the hair go away, but it will make the treatments more effective than for the patient that does not take replacement therapy.
   
   
3. Birth control pills. If so, how long? Birth control is just not prescribed to avoid birth, it is also prescribed to regulate menstrual periods. Irregular periods often are the underlying cause of an unwanted hair problem.
   
   
4. Regular periods. Regular periods do not tell the electrologist that no endocrine disorders exist however they indicate it is unlikely. Irregular periods warrant more questioning. For example, women with irregular periods have a predisposition to polycystic ovaries, a condition that thwarts or decreases the estrogen absorption in the body. When this happens, the androgen's in the body become predominant. With this comes unwanted facial and body hair, acne, and thickening and coarseness of the skin. There are certain medications and treatments, including surgery, which can alleviate this condition. A seasoned and skilled electrologist will be aware of this condition and see it quite frequently in her practice. I again stress the importance of knowing your patient's health, both for your safety and for that of your patient's.
   
   
5. Do you have an endocrine disorder? Detecting endocrine disorders is relatively simple if you consider that when a woman has endocrine disorder you can be sure she has an unwanted hair problem. In men, endocrine disorders cause excessively heavy beards with thick, heavy body hair.
   
   If so what type of disorder? If your patient answers "yes," to the question, refer to the to your Merck manual under "symptoms." Usually you will find unwanted facial and body hair a part of that medical condition.
   
   
6. Hysterectomy patient. If a patient has had a hysterectomy or partial hysterectomy, she falls into the category of a pseudo-menopausal endocrine disorder. This is identical to a post-menopausal patient unless estrogen replacement therapy is prescribed after surgery an unwanted hair problem will result.
   
   
7. Have you completed a full-term pregnancy?
   When a woman undergoes a full-term pregnancy the female reproductive anatomy undergoes one last change, which can affect unwanted facial and body hair.
   
   
8. Do you have a borderline endocrine disorder?
   (Read "high normal endocrine" below).