Hair and Hormones

Hair follicles---skin sacs from which hairs grow---contain cells that receive and bind androgens, also called male hormones. Androgens indirectly control hair growth by affecting small proteins found in certain skin cells.

Testosterone in Men and Women

Testosterone is one of the androgen hormones. Male sex glands create testosterone, which influences male reproductive development, including hair growth. Women produce testosterone in the adrenal gland and ovaries.

Excessive Hair Growth in Women

Women's testosterone levels are typically 5 to 10 percent of men's levels. When those levels rise, a woman may develop excess hair, or hirsutism.

Conditions that cause hirsutism

A number of medical conditions can cause hirsutism, including: polycystic ovary syndrome, in which a woman's hormone imbalance causes cysts to form in the ovaries; Cushing's syndrome, the result of the body's prolonged exposure to high levels of the hormone cortisol; and ovarian or adrenal tumors that produce androgens.

Medications and Hirsutism

Some drugs can also cause hirsutism in women, including hormones such as those in birth control pills, anabolic steroids and danazol, a medicine used to treat women who have endometriosis.

Source:

Dermatology Online Journal: The Control of Hair Growth

Familydoctor.org: Hirsutism (Excessive Hair)

E.hormone: Your Gateway to the Environment and Hormones

More Information:

The Hormone Help Center: Hormones and Unwanted Hair

Better Health Channel: Androgen Deficiency in Men