Question: I am a 15-year-old male and I have excessive leg hair. Is there anything I can do about it without having to shave it all off?

Answer: You say you are concerned about excessive hair on your legs.

We assume this involves your entire legs or at least a large area. You did not mention the hair on the rest of your body — face, back, chest and arms. Is that also "excessive?"

Is your general health and development normal? If this is so, then you just have excessive hair growth, also called "hypertrichosis." This is a normal variant, not a disease.

Why are you concerned about this? Do you feel that it does not look good? In our culture, heavy body hair on a male is often considered "manly."

If it is extensive, over all of your legs, we are not aware of any simple way to manage the problem. You must be careful that you don't do more harm than good. Certainly shaving is not harmful but will have to be done frequently.

Shaving will not cause you to grow more or thicker hair. New laser techniques for hair removal are also becoming available, but are rather expensive. You may want to consult with your primary care doctor or you may want to see a dermatologist for further recommendations.

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