I have this growing from seed every year. I have read many different articles about this plant, but I haven't found anything about how bad the "fine looking hairs" will stick into your skin. I use leather gloves when cutting the plants down in fall. Anyone else grow this? Then again, I hope I haven't added this comment to the wrong plant.
I started seeds for this plant several years ago and it has self sown each year since. I wear gloves to harvest the seeds because in addition to being uncomfortable to handle, the skin irritation the foliage causes persists for a day or two.