In an unusual case, a woman in Italy developed a condition that caused hair to grow where it's not supposed to grow: out of her mouth. While it's not a serious medical condition — her life is not in danger — it's certainly worthy of further study, and that's why the doctors who treated her have published about her case.
Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology
Woman Develops Condition Causing Hair To Grow Inside Her Mouth
When she was just 19, the woman in question first reported hair growing out from between her teeth.
Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology
Needless to say, her doctors performed a battery of tests to figure out what was going on, and it turned out that she also had some ovarian cysts, Gizmodo reported.
The doctors theorized that she had polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), a hormonal disorder that can cause women to produce more testosterone than normal and increase hair growth.
That hair growth tends to occur in areas where the body usually grows hair, of course.
Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology
For this unfortunate patient, however, hair was growing out of her gums.
The treatment was straightforward, just an oral hormonal contraceptive, and it worked. After plucking the hairs, they stayed away, and it seemed like everything was back to normal.
Six years later, however, at 25, the woman's hair returned.
Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology
She had stopped taking her PCOS hormone treatment and like the urban myth, the once-removed hair grew back thicker: "brown hair, similar to eyelashes," and not just between her teeth but also along her neck and chin.
The doctors could at least be certain that the woman's PCOS was at the root of her mouth hair problem.
Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology
And once again, the doctors removed the hairs, and while she took her medication, the hair growth stopped. The doctors also took a tissue sample and referred her to an endocrinologist.
PCOS is a lifelong condition, however, so it's likely that she'll have to stay on that medication if she wants to keep the hair from coming back.
Lest anyone worry about sprouting a new crop of hair in their mouth, rest assured that this is an isolated case.
The doctors only found five other mentions of mouth hair in medical literature, ever, and none in another woman.
h/t: Gizmodo
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