Short answer: Hirsutism affects about 1 in 10 women worldwide, according to a 2012 systematic review and a 2025 expert review.[1], [2] PMOS (formerly PCOS) is the cause in roughly 70% to 90% of women with hirsutism, idiopathic hirsutism in 5% to 20%, non-classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia in 1% to 10%, and hormone-producing tumors in only about 1 in 500 to 1 in 1,000.[2], [3], [4] PMOS itself affects 10% to 13% of women.[6]
This page collects the most reliable numbers on hirsutism in one place: How common it is, how it varies by ethnicity, what causes it, how it is scored, how it affects mental health and how well treatments work. Each figure links to its source, with the study population and year, so you can check it and cite it. The last section adds key findings from the myHirsutism survey of 269 women.
Hirsutism means coarse, dark hair growing in a male-type pattern, such as on the chin, chest or abdomen. PMOS, previously called polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), was renamed polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome in May 2026, so older studies below use the name PCOS.[8]
What are the key hirsutism statistics?
| Statistic | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Women with hirsutism | About 10% in most populations | Androgen Excess and PCOS Society systematic review, 2012[1] |
| Hirsute women whose cause is PMOS | 70% to 90% | Endocrine Society guideline 2018; 2025 expert review[2], [3] |
| Idiopathic hirsutism (normal hormones, regular ovulation) | 5% to 20% | Endocrine Society guideline 2018[3] |
| Non-classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (NCAH) | 1% to 10%, depending on ethnicity | 2025 expert review[2] |
| Androgen-secreting tumors | 1 in 500 to 1 in 1,000 hirsute women | 2025 expert review[2] |
| Women with PMOS | 10% to 13% worldwide | International PCOS guideline 2023[6] |
| Ferriman-Gallwey cutoff for hirsutism | 4 to 6 in most populations | International PCOS guideline 2023[6] |
| Women with facial hair with clinical anxiety | 75% of 88 women | UK study, 2006[11] |
| Typical wait before seeing a doctor | 3 years | myHirsutism survey, 2019 (self-selected)[14] |
How common is hirsutism?
About 1 in 10 women of reproductive age has hirsutism.
The Androgen Excess and PCOS Society’s 2012 systematic review concluded that hirsutism affects about 10% of women in most populations, with Far East Asian women affected less often.[1] A 2025 review in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism gives the same global figure.[2] Individual studies vary widely, partly because they used different scoring cutoffs and some relied on women scoring themselves.[1]
| Study (year, country) | Women studied | Share with hirsutism |
|---|---|---|
| DeUgarte (2006, USA), Black women | 350 | 4.3% |
| DeUgarte (2006, USA), White women | 293 | 5.4% |
| Asuncion (2000, Spain) | 154 | 7.1% |
| Sagsoz (2004, Turkey) | 204 | 8.3% |
| Zargar (2002, India, Kashmir) | 4,780 | 10.5% |
| Noorbala (2010, Iran), teenagers | 900 | 10.8% |
| Cheewadhanaraks (2004, Thailand) | 531 | 2% |
| March (2010, Australia), self-reported | 728 | 21.2% |
All rows are unselected population studies summarized in the 2012 review, which notes that high figures may reflect self-reporting or self-referral.[1]
Does hirsutism vary by ethnicity?
Population-based hirsutism cutoffs range from a Ferriman-Gallwey score of 4 to 8 across ethnic groups.
The largest study so far, published in 2025, pooled 9,829 unselected women aged 18 to 45 from 12 community studies in 8 countries. It used statistical clustering to find where “normal” ends for each ethnic group, then counted how many women scored at or above that cutoff.[5]
| Ethnic group | Population cutoff (mFG) | Women at or above cutoff |
|---|---|---|
| Black African | 7 | 6.9% |
| Black American | 5 | 11.5% |
| White American | 4 | 11.9% |
| White Russian | 5 | 8.3% |
| White Iranian | 8 | 21.1% |
| Han Chinese | 5 | 12.3% |
| Korean | 4 | 15.3% |
| Asian Russian | 4 | 6.0% |
| Turkish | 5 | 16.8% |
Source: Bizuneh et al., European Journal of Endocrinology, 2025.[5] We left out two groups the authors flagged as having small samples. Hispanic women were not included. The authors say the results support the 2023 International PCOS guideline’s cutoff of 4 to 6 for most populations. Read more in is facial hair normal for your ethnicity?
What causes hirsutism, in numbers?
PMOS is behind about 7 in 10 cases seen in specialist clinics, and tumors behind fewer than 1 in 300.
The Endocrine Society’s 2018 guideline states that at least 80% of hirsutism is due to androgen excess, and that 70% to 80% of women with hirsutism have PCOS.[3] The figures below come from women referred to specialist clinics, so they describe women who sought help, not everyone with hirsutism.
| Cause | 950 women, Italy (2006) | 2,601 women, 5 series (2012 review) | 2025 expert review |
|---|---|---|---|
| PMOS (formerly PCOS) | 72.1% | 71% | 80% to 90% |
| Idiopathic hyperandrogenism (high androgens, regular ovulation) | 15.8% | 15% | Not reported separately |
| Idiopathic hirsutism (normal androgens) | 7.6% | 10% | 5% to 10% |
| Non-classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia | 4.3% | 3% | 1% to 10% |
| Androgen-secreting tumors | 0.2% | 0.3% | 1 in 500 to 1,000 |
| Other | Not reported | 0.7% | Under 1 in 200 (all rare causes) |
Sources: Carmina et al. 2006, Escobar-Morreale et al. 2012 and Azziz et al. 2025.[4], [1], [2] Read the full explanation in what causes hirsutism?
What changes after menopause?
Causes shift with age. A UK study tested androgens in 1,205 women with LC-MS/MS, an accurate lab method, and studied 378 who had raised levels.[9]
| Diagnosis in women with raised androgens | Share |
|---|---|
| PCOS, premenopausal women | 89.0% |
| PCOS, postmenopausal women | 29.3% |
| Congenital adrenal hyperplasia, all ages | 4.8% |
| Adrenocortical carcinoma (adrenal cancer), all ages | 4.0% |
| Adrenocortical carcinoma, postmenopausal women | 14.7% |
| Ovarian hyperthecosis (all postmenopausal) | 1.9% |
| Cushing’s disease | 1.6% |
| Ovarian tumors | 0.5% |
| No explanation found | 9.5% |
Source: Elhassan et al. 2018.[9] This was a hospital laboratory sample, which explains why cancers appear more often than in other series. Hirsutism also lasts: In a Swedish follow-up cited in a 2023 review, 33% of postmenopausal women with PCOS still had hirsutism, compared with 4% of other women of the same age.[10]
How common is PMOS?
PMOS affects 10% to 13% of women worldwide.
The 2023 International PCOS guideline gives a global prevalence of 10% to 13% using the Rotterdam criteria.[6] How many women are counted depends on the definition used. A 2016 meta-analysis found:[7]
| Diagnostic criteria | PCOS prevalence (95% CI) | Studies |
|---|---|---|
| NIH 1990 (needs irregular ovulation and androgen excess) | 6% (5% to 8%) | 18 |
| Rotterdam 2003 (two of three features) | 10% (8% to 13%) | 15 |
| Androgen Excess and PCOS Society 2006 | 10% (7% to 13%) | 10 |
The international guideline also states that in adults, hirsutism alone should be considered predictive of high androgens and PMOS.[6]
What Ferriman-Gallwey score counts as hirsutism?
Guideline cutoffs range from a score of 2 to 10, depending on ethnicity.
Doctors score hair on 9 body areas from 0 to 4 using the modified Ferriman-Gallwey (mFG) scale, for a maximum of 36. The Endocrine Society’s 2018 guideline lists these cutoffs for an abnormal score:[3]
| Population | Abnormal mFG score |
|---|---|
| US and UK Black or White women | 8 or more |
| Mediterranean, Hispanic and Middle Eastern women | 9 to 10 or more |
| South American women | 6 or more |
| Asian women | From 2 or more (Han Chinese) to 7 or more (Southern Chinese) |
| International PCOS guideline 2023 (all adults) | 4 to 6, depending on ethnicity[6] |
Severity is commonly graded as mild up to a score of 15, moderate from 16 to 25 and severe above 25.[1] Score yourself with the hirsutism self-check and read more about the Ferriman-Gallwey score.
How does hirsutism affect mental health?
In a UK study of 88 women with facial hair, 75% had clinical levels of anxiety and 30% had clinical levels of depression.
That study, published in 2006, also measured the daily burden of managing facial hair:[11]
| Finding (88 women with facial hair, UK, 2006) | Result |
|---|---|
| Time spent managing facial hair | 104 minutes per week on average |
| Constantly check their face in mirrors | 67% |
| Constantly check their face by touch | 76% |
| Feel uncomfortable in social situations | 40% |
| Depression above the clinical cutoff | 30% |
| Clinical levels of anxiety | 75% |
| Both depression and anxiety | 29% |
Larger data exist for PCOS, which often includes hirsutism. A 2017 meta-analysis of 30 studies with 3,050 women with PCOS and 3,858 controls found that women with PCOS had about four times the odds of moderate or severe depressive symptoms (odds ratio 4.18) and over six times the odds of moderate or severe anxiety symptoms (odds ratio 6.55).[12] The international guideline recommends screening all adults with PMOS for depression and anxiety.[6] The 2025 expert review warns doctors not to underestimate the distress hirsutism causes.[2] Read 10 things women with hirsutism want you to know.
How well do hirsutism treatments work?
In a 2018 network meta-analysis of 43 trials, combining the pill with an anti-androgen reduced hair scores more than the pill alone.
Evidence: Strong The Endocrine Society commissioned this review for its 2018 guideline. All three drug classes beat placebo, with moderate certainty for those comparisons and low certainty for head-to-head comparisons.[13] Results are standardized mean differences (SMD), which put trials that used different hair scales on one scale. More negative numbers mean more improvement.
| Treatment vs placebo | SMD (95% CI) |
|---|---|
| Combined pill plus anti-androgen | -1.40 (-1.95 to -0.84) |
| Anti-androgens (as a group) | -1.29 (-1.80 to -0.79) |
| Spironolactone | -1.41 (-2.26 to -0.57) |
| Finasteride | -1.48 (-2.18 to -0.78) |
| Flutamide | -1.85 (-2.55 to -1.14) |
| Combined pill alone | -0.94 (-1.49 to -0.38) |
| Insulin sensitizers (as a group) | -0.62 (-1.00 to -0.23) |
| Metformin (very low certainty) | -0.73 (-1.18 to -0.27) |
Source: Barrionuevo et al. 2018.[13] Adding an anti-androgen to the pill improved scores more than the pill alone (SMD -0.46).[13] Hormonal treatments take time: The 2012 review advises judging a drug only after at least 6 months of continuous use.[1] Anti-androgens can harm a developing baby, so they need reliable contraception.[3] See hirsutism medication.
What did the myHirsutism 2019 survey find?
Half of the women who answered waited three years or longer before talking to a doctor.
In January and February 2019, 269 women answered our anonymous online survey, which was shared in a Facebook support group for hirsutism. 91% said they have hirsutism and 83% also reported PCOS. Most were in their twenties and thirties, and 184 lived in the US.[14] This was a self-selected online sample, so the numbers describe this group, not all women with hirsutism. The answers are self-reported.
| Diagnosis and doctors | Result |
|---|---|
| Talked to a doctor as soon as symptoms started | 12% |
| Had discussed hair growth with a doctor | 84% |
| Had an official hirsutism diagnosis | 64% |
| Median wait before seeing a doctor (88 answered) | 36 months |
| Saw a doctor within the first year | 21 of 88 (24%) |
| Waited 10 years or longer | 20 of 88 (23%) |
| Hair removal and daily life | Result |
|---|---|
| Remove excess hair regularly | 96% |
| Of those, remove hair from the face (chin) | 97% |
| Have tried plucking / shaving on the face | 81% / 76% |
| Have tried laser / electrolysis on the face | 25% / 13% |
| Get ingrown hairs at least sometimes | 91% |
| Say their symptoms bother them | 97% |
| Say hirsutism has affected their personal life | 80% |
| Say no one but themselves knows | 27% |
Among women with PCOS, the most-tried supplements were progesterone (32%), spearmint (26%) and zinc (15%). Of those who tried them, only 13%, 14% and 8% respectively said they clearly worked, and “not sure” was a common answer.[14] Self-reported symptoms included weight gain (198 of 269), acne (139), scalp hair loss (95), a deeper voice (34) and an enlarged clitoris (23).[14] See the full charts in hirsutism survey results.
How to cite this page: myHirsutism. Hirsutism Statistics 2026: How Common It Is and What Causes It. https://myhirsutism.com/hirsutism-statistics/ (updated October 2026). For individual numbers, please also cite the original study linked in the sources.
Frequently asked questions
What percentage of women have hirsutism?
About 10% in most populations, according to a 2012 systematic review and a 2025 expert review.[1], [2] Individual studies range from about 2% to over 20%, depending on the population and how hirsutism was scored.[1], [5]
What percentage of hirsutism is caused by PCOS?
Between 70% and 90%, depending on the study. In the largest clinic series of 950 women, it was 72.1%.[2], [3], [4]
Can you have hirsutism without PCOS?
Yes. Idiopathic hirsutism, with normal hormones and regular ovulation, accounts for 5% to 20% of women with hirsutism. NCAH and, rarely, tumors or medicines are other causes.[2], [3]
Is hirsutism more common in some ethnic groups?
What counts as normal hair growth differs by ethnicity, and hirsutism appears less common in Far East Asian women.[1], [5] That is why cutoffs vary from 4 to 8 on the mFG score in population studies.[5]
How rare are hormone-producing tumors in women with hirsutism?
Very rare: 0.2% to 0.3% in large clinic series, or about 1 in 500 to 1 in 1,000 hirsute women.[1], [2], [4] Read sudden facial hair growth: When it’s urgent.
Key takeaways
- About 1 in 10 women has hirsutism, with lower rates reported in Far East Asian women.
- PMOS (formerly PCOS) causes 70% to 90% of hirsutism. Idiopathic hirsutism accounts for 5% to 20%, and tumors for about 1 in 500 to 1,000.
- PMOS affects 10% to 13% of women. The hirsutism cutoff on the mFG scale is usually 4 to 6, but varies by ethnicity.
- Hirsutism carries a heavy mental load: In one study, 75% of women with facial hair had clinical anxiety.
- The pill plus an anti-androgen gives the largest average improvement, judged after at least 6 months.
Sources
- Escobar-Morreale HF, Carmina E, Dewailly D, et al. Epidemiology, diagnosis and management of hirsutism: a consensus statement by the Androgen Excess and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Society. Hum Reprod Update. 2012;18(2):146-170. PubMed 22064667
- Azziz R, Amiri M, Bril F, et al. Approach to the Patient: Hirsutism. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2025;110(10):e3503-e3519. PubMed 40200552
- Martin KA, Anderson RR, Chang RJ, et al. Evaluation and Treatment of Hirsutism in Premenopausal Women: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2018;103(4):1233-1257. PubMed 29522147
- Carmina E, Rosato F, Jannì A, Rizzo M, Longo RA. Extensive clinical experience: relative prevalence of different androgen excess disorders in 950 women referred because of clinical hyperandrogenism. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006;91(1):2-6. PubMed 16263820
- Bizuneh AD, Joham AE, Tay CT, et al. The PCOS Phenotype in Unselected Populations study: ethnic variation in population-based normative cut-offs for defining hirsutism. Eur J Endocrinol. 2025;192(3):228-239. PubMed 40036973
- Teede HJ, Tay CT, Laven JJE, et al. Recommendations From the 2023 International Evidence-based Guideline for the Assessment and Management of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2023;108(10):2447-2469. PubMed 37580314
- Bozdag G, Mumusoglu S, Zengin D, Karabulut E, Yildiz BO. The prevalence and phenotypic features of polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Hum Reprod. 2016;31(12):2841-2855. PubMed 27664216
- Teede HJ, Bahri Khomami M, Morman R, et al. Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, the new name for polycystic ovary syndrome: a multistep global consensus process. Lancet. 2026;407(10545):2329-2339. Published online May 12, 2026. PubMed 42119588
- Elhassan YS, Idkowiak J, Smith K, et al. Causes, Patterns, and Severity of Androgen Excess in 1205 Consecutively Recruited Women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2018;103(3):1214-1223. DOI 10.1210/jc.2017-02426
- Hirschberg AL. Approach to Investigation of Hyperandrogenism in a Postmenopausal Woman. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2023;108(5):1243-1253. PubMed 36409990
- Lipton MG, Sherr L, Elford J, Rustin MHA, Clayton WJ. Women living with facial hair: the psychological and behavioral burden. J Psychosom Res. 2006;61(2):161-168. PubMed 16880018
- Cooney LG, Lee I, Sammel MD, Dokras A. High prevalence of moderate and severe depressive and anxiety symptoms in polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Hum Reprod. 2017;32(5):1075-1091. PubMed 28333286
- Barrionuevo P, Nabhan M, Altayar O, et al. Treatment Options for Hirsutism: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2018;103(4):1258-1264. PubMed 29522176
- myHirsutism. Hirsutism Survey 2019: results from 269 women with hirsutism. Published October 2026. myhirsutism.com/hirsutism-survey-results/
This article is for education and is not medical advice. Talk to a doctor about diagnosis and treatment.