Overview

It’s not unusual for people to have hair on their buttocks. Like many physical traits, the amount of hair on the buttocks varies from person to person.

For the most part, hair on the buttocks is more of a cosmetic feature than a medical one. It’s up to you to decide whether you want to reduce or remove the hair.

Here are some of the common causes for hair on the buttocks:

Genetics

Your genes determine how much body hair you have, as well as what kind of hair you have, such as color and texture. So, if you have an abundance of hair on your buttocks, your parents most likely passed this trait on to you.

Medications

Some medications might cause an increase in body hair, including:

Adrenal diseases

Adrenal glands produce androgens. These hormones can trigger the growth of body hair on both females and males. Adrenal diseases that can include body hair growth as a symptom include:

Ovarian diseases

Ovaries play an important role in balancing hormone levels in the body. Some conditions affecting the ovaries can increase body hair. They include:

Humans have three types of hair:

  • Terminal hair. This type is thick and long. It makes up the eyebrows and hair on the head.
  • Androgenic hair. This is terminal hair that develops on the body, like the arms and legs.
  • Vellus hair. This type is very fine body hair. It’s almost invisible.

Most body hair starts as vellus hair. As we age, the hair in certain areas — such as the armpits, chest, arms, and pubic area — often grows darker, longer, and in larger quantities.

This change from vellus hair is triggered by rising levels of androgens (male hormones such as testosterone). Following puberty, males typically have coarser and more abundant body hair. Females will go through a less drastic change in body hair, especially in the areas of the chest, abdomen, back, and buttocks.

If you’d prefer hairless buttocks, the two most popular way to permanently remove body hair are laser therapy and electrolysis:

  • Laser therapy. A doctor passes a special laser beam over the skin to damage the hair follicles. This inhibits hair growth. Laser therapy often requires multiple treatments.
  • Electrolysis. Your doctor inserts a needle with an electric charge into each hair follicle to damage and ultimately destroy it. With no follicle, there’s no hair.

If you’d be happier with hairless buttocks, there are a number of ways to remove the hair at home. Options include:

Some people trim the hair as opposed to removing it. By using an electric trimmer with the proper head, they feel there’s less impact on the skin. This technique can also avoid the prickly feeling that occurs when hair begins to grow back.

Most people have hair on their butt. Some have hair that’s thinner, lighter, and nearly invisible. Others have a higher density of longer, darker hair. Both are totally normal.

While some people don’t care about the hair on their buttocks, some people prefer to be hairless.

A preference for hairy or hairless buttocks is typically a matter of aesthetics. However, sometimes an increase in body hair can indicate an underlying condition, such as a reaction to medication or an adrenal or ovarian condition. If you notice an unexplained increase of body hair, discuss it with your doctor.