Hormonal imbalance from weed - go away on its own?

I’m 21, female, and am pretty sure I have a hormonal imbalance from smoking weed once a week for about a year (with the last month being almost daily–bad choice) and I started noticing fine yet dark hairs on my chin. My period was also getting a bit irregular (normal timing, but slightly lighter flow.)

I decided to quit cold turkey and now that it’s been about a month and a half of no smoking whatsoever, the symptoms have started getting worse and I’m not sure if it’s just because I was already in the beginning stages of it happening when I was still smoking and noticed it (and therefore am in a “too late to avoid” sort of deal since stopping the weed.) My period has gotten much lighter than before too. The timing is still normal, and the flow is normal for the first two days, but after that it’s like I have nothing.

What’s really been concerning me though is the hair on my face. I think I’m going through what’s been described as “accelerated vellus” hairs. My entire face (beard area on men and upper lip) is now covered in this fine downy fuzzy like hair. Most of it is blond but upon real close inspection I can see very fine pigmented hairs that are dark brown, especially on my chin. The hairs on my chin have also been growing much faster. When I originally stopped smoking weed, I would have to feel around with my finger to “find” the fuzzy spot, but nowadays the entire area is completely fuzzy and I can see the little hairs jutting out of my jaw. This has made me so self conscious to the point where I’ve been hiding away in my house because in the sunlight these hairs can become very visible.

I’m very nervous about all of these turning into terminal hairs, as I already have what I think is one white terminal hair on my lower left cheek (but that’s the only one I’ve found so far).

My main question is…will my hormones go back to normal now that I’ve stopped using weed? (Assuming it’s the marijuana’s fault). I do understand this could be something else and am planning to make a trip to the doctors, but let’s just say hypothetically it is the weed that caused this. Will this hormonal imbalance and fuzzy hair on my face go away on it’s own now that I’ve stopped? Or is my face already in the “beard growing” stages and will not stop now even though I stopped smoking? =(

Any help would be very appreciated! I have low self esteem and social anxiety, and this new hair growth on my face has really made me more depressed, and I’m so nervous about what’s happening. I really want to try to nip this in the bud before it gets worse!

I don’t think you or anyone else for sure can blame your extra hair growth on marajahoohoo. All this may be a coincidence. Your idea about seeking a medical evaluation is a sound plan. Please do that. Meanwhile, hair that has appeared, will no less likely disappear because you have discontinuedc smoking weed. Who knows if it will turn terminal? Maybe it won’t? Have you started on new BC pills or other medications within the last two or three months?

How about submitting some pictures?

This does sound like somewhat of a possible hormone issue, although I highly doubt it is the weeds fault. If you can remember, write down all of your symptoms and when they started, how frequent, so on. Bring that list to the doctors with you. When you are there, they will most likely have you fill out a form of your past history or drug use, so don’t forget to be honest. If this is your regular doctor, just be sure to tell him/her and say you wanted to know if this could be causing the issue. If you have any family history of hypothyroidism or PSOS, those are two common issues that I know of that cause excess hair growth.

I think the hormonal effects (from MJ) on males are fairly well documented: some feminizing effects and lower testosterone. There’s a good PDF article if you Google “Endocrine Effects of Marijuana.” (One young male client discontinued using because he started to develop tiny “breasts” … a little painful lump under his nipples. Six months later he was normal again.)