Excessive hair growth is more common than you think. Hirsutism is where women have thick, dark hair on their face, neck, chest, tummy, lower back, buttocks or thighs, which is often thicker and coarser than normal. Hypertrichosis can affect both men and women, and can cause excessive hair growth anywhere on the body. The impact of unwanted hair can be significant and lead to people feeling self-conscious, less confident or insecure. It is also common to remove body hair for convenience or to prevent skin irritation or ingrown hairs caused by shaving or waxing.