Why does hair grow on women's knuckles? 8 ways to remove it

While every woman struggles with hair growth on her face, body and intimate areas, one of the places where hair doesn't often grow is the knuckles. Additionally, hyperpigmentation of the knuckles is common, but hair growth on the knuckles seems like a strange concept, right?

Let me tell you, it's not as unusual as it sounds. In fact, some men and even women have hair growth on their knuckles. Do you also have a few strands of hair growing on the joints of your fingers?

Are you worried about this hair growth and want to get rid of it as soon as possible? Then wait no longer and find out the 8 causes and 8 best methods to remove unwanted hair on the knuckles in women.

Table of contents:

• Part 1: 8 Causes of Hair Growth on the Knuckles
• Part 2: 8 Methods to Get Rid of Hair on Knuckles
• Part 3: Conclusion

8 Causes of Hair Growth on the Knuckles

When we talk about the clinical significance of hair growth on the knuckles, it is nothing more than a cosmetic problem, as stated in a summary published in PubMed [1] .

However, there can be several causes for hair growth on the knuckles. These are explained below.

1. genetics

Whether you have hair growing on your face or your knuckles, genetics is to blame. A mutation in the genes that determine hair growth on the hands can lead to hair growth on the knuckles.

Knuckle hair growth is an autosomal dominant trait, so if your mother or father has hair on the interphalangeal joints, there is a 50 percent chance that you will have it too. This phenomenon is explained in an article on Live Science [2] .

2. Prenatal exposure to male hormones

Hair growth is influenced by male hormones, even before the baby is born.

If the baby is exposed to male hormones, especially androgens, in the womb, either through endogenous production or through exogenous intake, the baby is likely to develop male characteristics such as hair on the ankles.

3. medications

Knuckle hair growth can be a side effect of various medications. Drugs that affect the levels of steroid hormones in the body have been associated with knuckle hair growth. These include exogenous testosterone, anabolic steroids, danazol, metyrapone, glucocorticoids, and minoxidil.

The contraceptive pill can also, in some cases, lead to hair growth on the knuckles.

4. diseases of the ovaries

Female hormones are secreted by the ovaries. These hormones are sex hormones, progesterone and estrogen. The hormone secretion of the ovaries is influenced by hormonal factors that come from the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus.

However, in ovarian disorders, the ovaries produce an imbalance of estrogen and progesterone. This imbalance leads to hair growth on the ankles. One of the ovarian disorders that is associated with hirsutism is PCOS.

5. Hormonal imbalance

Hair growth in the body is determined by the hormone levels in the body. Estrogen stimulates hair growth while progesterone reduces it. Normally, these hormones balance each other out and only cause hair to grow on the arms and legs.

However, if the balance of these hormones is not right, hair growth can also occur on the knuckles.

6. hypertrichosis

Werewolf syndrome is a multifactorial disorder that causes excessive hair growth on all parts of the body. This hair can be seen on the back, shoulders, hands, legs, feet, face, cheeks, and even the forehead.

A document in PubMed explains the entire theory and effects of hypertrichosis [3] . You can also read more about hypertrichosis in “ What you need to know about hypertrichosis ” .

7. hirsutism

Hirsutism is a hair growth disorder in which excessive hair growth occurs on the body and face of women. It occurs due to hyperandrogenism, drug reactions and also without any identifiable cause, as explained in a study [4] .

8. aging

As we age and reach menopause, hormone levels in the body begin to change. In most cases, hair growth is reduced due to a drop in estrogen levels.

However, hair growth on the knuckles increases due to excessive hormone production by the adrenal glands [5] .

8 Methods to Get Rid of Hair on Your Knuckles

With 8 causes of hair growth on the knuckles, there should be at least 8 methods to remove them, right?

Learn more about professional and DIY methods of ankle hair removal.

Home Hair Removal Methods

Try these 3 hair removal methods to get rid of hair on your knuckles.

1. Shave

Do you want to know the fastest way to remove hair from your knuckles? Yes, you guessed it right. It's shaving. It removes hair from the knuckles of all 10 fingers in no time.

However, shaving with the non-dominant hand on the dominant hand can be a bit difficult and you may need to shave often to keep the hair under control.

2. depilatory creams

Another quick yet effortless method of hair removal for knuckles is depilatory creams. All you have to do is apply the cream and wait a few minutes before removing the hair with a spatula.

Plus, this method is affordable. But be aware of the chemical reaction it can cause and do a patch test first.

3. IPL hair removal

The most suitable method for removing hair from knuckles is IPL hair removal. Although you will need to shave for the IPL treatment to work, the best part is that it reduces hair growth in 3 to 6 sessions and leaves your fingers hairless for up to 6 months or more.

With the Ulike Sapphire Air3 IPL handheld hair removal device, you can also perform hair removal on your knuckles super quickly and effectively. Not to mention the comfortable experience that comes with Ulike.

4. Homemade home remedies

If you want to try something natural, there are various home remedies for removing hair from your knuckles. From masks made from curd and chickpea flour to peel-off solutions made from egg and corn flour, hair removal with home remedies is simple and easy.

However, you will need to be patient with these hair removal recipes. You can also find details about these natural remedies in “ How to remove unwanted hair at home ” .

Professional methods for hair removal

Here are some professional methods to remove unwanted hair on your knuckles.

1. pulling threads

You might not have thought that threading is a method for knuckles. But trust me, it works great. It's inexpensive, requires only a small procedure, and catches hair of any length.

All you have to do is ask your eyebrow specialist to remove the hairs on your knuckles as well. Unfortunately, you cannot do the knuckle threading yourself.

2. laser hair removal

Laser hair removal is the perfect solution for women who have time and money for this expensive but effective method of hair removal. Laser is precise and suitable for small areas such as the knuckles.

In addition, the results of the laser can last for many years.

3. electrolysis

One method to get rid of knuckle hair forever is electrolysis. This involves inserting a hair-like wire into the hair follicle and killing it with an electric current. Once the hair follicles are killed by electrolysis, they no longer grow back.

This makes electrolysis long-lasting. However, it is also expensive and painful.

Home methods and professional procedures

Finally, we want to talk about the method that you can do yourself or have an expert do it for you.

1. waxing

Waxing is the hair removal method of choice for many women. So if you like to remove unwanted hair on your face, arms and legs with waxing, you can also use this method on your knuckles.

Conclusion

Although hair on the ankles is not harmful to health, it is unsightly. This hair is caused by many diseases that affect the hormonal balance in the body. Genetics can also be an important cause.

But don't worry, you can easily remove the hair on your knuckles at home or in the salon. In this article, we have discussed the 8 causes and methods of hair removal for knuckle hair.

references

1. Hair in the middle phalanges: clinical significance. Adaeze Egesi, and Rashid Rashid. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2010 Dec;9(4):325-30. National Library of Medicine. PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21122054/
2. Why Do Some People Have Hair on Their Knuckles? Michelle Bryner. September 07, 2010. Live Science. https://www.livescience.com/32805-why-do-some-people-have-hair-on-their-knuckles.html
3. Hypertrichosis. Dahlia Saleh, Siva Naga S. Yarrarapu, Christopher Cook. StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan 2023 Aug 16. PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30521275/
4. HIRSUTISM: EVALUATION AND TREATMENT. Silonie Sachdeva. Indian J Dermatol. 2010 Jan-Mar; 55(1): 3–7. PubMed. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2856356/
5. Hormonal status and clinical relevance of hirsutism in elderly women. T Pepersack, C Rossi, F Dupuis, A Lefevre, M Vanhaeverbeek, W Dekoninck. Acta Endocrinol (Copenh). 1993 Oct;129(4):307-10. PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8237247/