More than half of all women are concerned about excess body hair, according to a report published by market research company Mintel last month. In the online survey of more than 2,000 women, excess hair was rated just behind weight gain for body dissatisfaction.

根据市场调查公司明特尔上个月公布的调查显示，超过一半的女性担心体毛过多的问题。在网上对2000多名女性进行的问卷表明，就身体不满度而言，毛发过多是仅次于肥胖之外的第二大问题。

It’s estimated that one in ten of us suffers from excess facial and body hair. But what causes it?

据统计，10个人中就有1个人承受着面部和身体毛发过多的困扰。那么，是什么原因导致我们毛发过多呢？

Sometimes race or just a family tendency to be more hairy is to blame, rather than any medical problem. People of South Asian or Mediterranean descent tend to have more hair than Caucasians or those with black skin, for example.

有时候，人种或者家族遗传就是导致毛发过多的罪魁祸首，而不是什么疾病。举例来说，南亚人或者地中海人种的毛发就比高加索人种或黑人的毛发更多。

But there are other factors that could be to blame. Eating large amounts of sugary, refined carbohydrates, such as biscuits and cakes, may trigger excess hair. These foods have a high glycemic index, which means they release their energy quickly and can cause insulin resistance.

但也有其他的原因导致毛发过多。食用大量的糖类食物、精制的碳水化合物，比如饼干、蛋糕，就会诱发毛发增多的问题。这些食物的升糖指数极高，会快速释放出大量能量，导致胰岛素抵抗力降低。

Insulin is the hormone that controls blood sugar level; ‘resistance’ means the hormone becomes less effective at lowering blood sugar, so the body has to produce more of it to get the job done.

胰岛素是控制血糖水平的激素。胰岛素抵抗力降低的意思指的是，胰岛素在血糖水平低的情况下，其作用也会降低。因此，人体就需要分泌更多的胰岛素来完成身体机能的正常运作。

“The problem is that a raised insulin level may trigger growth factors which make the ovaries produce too much of the “male” hormone testosterone, which can lead to excess hair,” adds Marilyn Glenville, a women’s health expert and nutritionist. “Being overweight can also cause insulin resistance.”

女性健康专家、营养学家玛丽莲-格伦维尔表示，“胰岛素水平升高会诱使女性卵巢分泌出过量的男性激素睾丸素，这就会使得毛发增多。同时，超重也会导致胰岛素抵抗力降低。”