Question
Is excessive hair growth in girls a sign of precocious puberty?
Answer
Precocious puberty refers to the phenomenon of girls developing secondary sexual characteristics before the normal onset of puberty, including breast development, pubic and underarm hair growth, rapid increase in height and weight, and the development of external genitalia. The causes of precocious puberty are diverse and can be divided into true and false types, mainly depending on whether the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis is prematurely activated. Treatment for precocious puberty should be based on the cause, with the main purpose being to suppress or slow down the process of sexual development, especially to prevent the onset of menstruation, delay skeletal maturation, maintain the potential for future adult height, and restore age-appropriate psychological behavior.