Which hormone is responsible for increased facial hair growth in females with PCOS?

Reviewed by Yoshinori Abe, MD

Internal Medicine

Increased facial hair growth in females with PCOS is mainly due to higher levels of androgens, which are male hormones.

Important Next Steps

Discover if PCOS is causing facial hair Learn whether your facial hair needs care See how serious PCOS-related hair growth is Find OTC options for excess facial hair Find a doctor for PCOS symptoms Understand home remedies for hormone-related facial hair Discover likely causes of hormone facial hair

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Explanation

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a condition that can cause women to have more facial hair. This happens because of higher levels of male hormones called androgens in their bodies.

Key Points:

Androgens: These are hormones like testosterone that are usually found in higher amounts in men. Women with PCOS have more of these hormones than usual.
Hirsutism: This is the term used to describe extra hair growth on the face and body of women, and it is often caused by these higher androgen levels.
Impact: While everyone has some androgens, women with PCOS have more, which leads to changes like more hair growth.

Understanding how androgens affect hair growth can help in managing PCOS symptoms. If you're experiencing unusual hair growth or other concerning symptoms, you can check your symptoms with a free AI-powered tool to better understand what might be happening. Treatments often focus on lowering these hormone levels or reducing their effects to help control hair growth.

(References)

Azziz R. (2003). The evaluation and management of hirsutism. Obstetrics and gynecology, 12738163.
Randall VA. (2008). Androgens and hair growth. Dermatologic therapy, 18844710.
Al-Bayyari N, Al-Domi H, Zayed F, Hailat R, & Eaton A. (2021). Androgens and hirsutism score of overweight women with .... Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland), 33010974.

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