Those stray dark, coarse hairs on your chinny-chin-chin are actually a secondary sexual characteristic caused by hormonal changes, just like breasts and pubic hair—and beards. Many things can affect your estrogen-testosterone balance, including irregular periods, pregnancy, birth control pills, menopause and polycystic ovary syndrome. The easiest, fastest and cheapest way to deal with chin hears is to simply tweeze them out. (No, it won’t make them grow back thicker!)

MORE: What’s With These Chin and Cheek Hairs?