By Emerald Catron (LemonDrop.com)

It turns out that if you’re a lady sporting a beard, you might have bigger problems than that patch o’ fuzz sprouting on your face. Hirsutism (i.e., excessive hairiness) affects 5 to 15 percent of women, and the cause is typically a hormonal condition.

And the cause of the condition can be serious. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is the cause of around 70 to 80 percent of hirsutism. (PCOS can also result in acne, irregular or nonexistent periods, infertility and miscarriage.) Other causes of beards on babes can be tumors or thyroid dysfunction.

The problem with the hirsutism symptom of PCOS is that women are too embarrassed to see a doctor about it. It’s too bad, since treatment can sometimes be as simple as losing some weight or taking birth control pills.

Of course, before you totally freak out, you should take a look at your family history and see what is normal for your family and hairiness. If you and your sisters are a regular bunch of Frida Kahlos, it could be nothing to worry about.

For more on PCOS, check out the Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Association.

• Anti-Aging Superfoods By Mary Kearl  (AOL Health) Sunflower Seeds What They Do: Stave off grays Your genes determine how old you'll be when you first start to go gray, but it often begins in your 20s, though some won't see a gray hair until their 40s, according to the American Academy of......
• Hair Loss Treatments & Remedies By: Redmund Although hair is not essential to life, it is of sufficient cosmetic concern to provoke anxiety in anyone when it starts thinning, falling, or disappearing. To a woman, the sight of a comb or brush covered with lost hair can cause intense mental strain. Hair is formed in......
• A Different Type of Detox AOLHeath & Health.com Every day we put potential toxins into our mouths, breathe them into our lungs, and track them into our homes without ever really knowing where they'll end up -- or how much damage they'll do when they get there. In fact, if you could peek inside your......
• Getting Rid of Stretch Marks Naturally Author: nlwest21 No one likes the look of stretch marks and women and men need to handle with them constantly. They weaken our self esteem and make it challenging for us and other individuals to disregard. For some individuals these blemishes can be little and scarcely noticeable and for others......
• Self Head Massage By: Dorian Bodnariuc Head Massage is an amazing Alternative Medicine tool. It is convenient, it doesn't require a special place, it can be done almost everywhere and the patient can remain fully clothed during the session. A bit of history. Head Massage appeared in ancient India as part of Ayurveda.......

• Your First Month Pregnancy Symptoms Pregnancy is by far one of the most possible fulfilling experiences that a woman can ever go through. Pregnancy does not have to be an overwhelming or worrisome ordeal for you. When you understand the first month pregnancy symptoms, the ones that you will most likely experience to the point......
• Get Your Doctor Involved In Your Weight Loss One of the first steps that you are going to want to deal with when it comes to beginning any healthy weight loss journey is going to be to actually schedule an appointment with your normal family doctor or health care provider. You are going to want to let the......
• 101 thoughts on losing 100 pounds I lost a lot of weight a few years ago. I lost even more a couple of years ago, then gained some of it back when we had our first child. It's not just women who gain weight during pregnancy! However, I have still managed to keep most of......
• Male Menopause Symptoms and Its Strategies in Surviving Depression It is not surprising that men are not spared from biological occurrences. Like women, men have also their menopausal stage. The male menopause known as andropause is a condition wherein the hormones of males naturally decline. Moreover, changes in their lives such as reordering life, career change, or divorce also......
• Money Lessons for Generation X As a 30-something....okay 34 year old, I am learning tips and tricks for finances every day of my life. However, I have recently come across some pretty specific bits of advice for people my age that I wish I would have learned much earlier. Here is what I learned...maybe a......