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Dear Dr. Roach: I am 71 and never was hairy. But several years ago, every hair on my body, it seems, decided to go on a nonstop growth spurt! My wife says, when she trims my back, that gorillas would be envious of me.
I asked my doctor about it, and she said: "Don't worry, it's normal in some men at your age." Why the sudden growth, what purpose would it serve, and why in just some men? -- J.K.
Answer: Body hair in men generally is responsive to testosterone. Although testosterone levels tend to decrease over the adult lifespan, the hairs in some men become more sensitive to the growth effects of testosterone. That's the most likely explanation. It's also possible that your testosterone is abnormally high: Perhaps your doctor checked that, since an elevation is very rarely caused by a tumor.
I am always cautious about assigning purpose to physiological changes. Many people feel that there is likely some evolutionary advantage to the physiological changes we see, but I don't think that's always the case.
Sometimes the reasons are very complex, defying easy explanation. In any case, I have no explanation for why hair cells become more sensitive to testosterone, nor why testosterone levels decrease in men as they get older. Many physiological processes do better with testosterone levels in the range of young men: That's a major reason for supplementing testosterone in older men with symptoms.
Interestingly, scalp hair has a different response to testosterone from body hair: Scalp hair is more likely to fall out with testosterone.
Readers: The booklet on thyroid gland problems explains this and other common thyroid illnesses. Readers can obtain a copy by writing:
Dr. Roach
Book No. 401
628 Virginia Drive
Orlando, FL 32803
Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Can. with the recipient's printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery.