A body full of testosterone usually implies men’s strength, masculinity, and sexuality. But in women, this hormone is also produced. Along with estrogen, testosterone increases sexual desire and also affects energy, muscle and bone strength.
Testosterone can rise and fall unnoticed by you and this will not affect the body because each person has different hormone levels. That is why we do not run to take tests every week, but calmly fight acne, do depilation/epilation and monitor the figure. But you should be alarmed if processes that are inexplicable at first glance occur in your body.
Why Testosterone in Women May Be Increased
For an increase in the amount of testosterone, the answer is most often:
- Hirsutism, a genetic disease that leads to increased production of testosterone. This disease manifests itself in abundant hair growth on the face, chest, arms, and legs.
- Polycystic ovary syndrome, an endocrine system disease whose side effect is an increased production of sex hormones.
- Congenital adrenal hyperplasia. People with this disease lack one of the enzymes that control the production of sex hormones.
Signs of High Testosterone Level in a Woman
1. The Amount of Body Hair Increases
The amount and structure of hair are determined by genetics. If the rest of the women in your family, have more body hair than you would like, then this is not a sign of increased testosterone level.
If more testosterone is being produced then the hair can appear on the face, chin, chest, abdomen, and back. In women, these parts of the body usually are not covered by hair, but if the level of circulating androgens rises then usually clean places will require epilation. Another indirect symptom that indicates that something is wrong with your hormones is when little hairs on the body become stiffer and darker.
2. The Voice Gets Rougher
Testosterone is a key hormone that affects a decrease in tonality. The voice becomes a little rougher with age and it’s a normal process. In a short period, this may happen in women only if the body produces an abnormal amount of the hormone.
3. Acne
Too much acne lately? The problem may be in your hormones. Testosterone increases the amount of sebum inside the skin pores. It becomes more oily, glands become blocked, and acne forms. The lower part of the face is at the most risk.
4. Hair Loss
Women with high testosterone may suffer from baldness just like men. It usually starts from the top of the head and goes to the forehead. If there are enough estrogens in the body, then they will prevent this process. The next time you see too much hair on your comb, think about getting tested.
5. Muscle Mass Increases
According to doctors, an excess of testosterone in women can lead to an increase in muscle mass and a decrease in breast size. Another indirect sign is an increase in the size of the leg muscles. These changes, especially if they occur in a short period of time, are unusual and consultation with a doctor is required.
6. Problems With the Cycle
If your hormones fail, then it’s logical that something will be wrong with the cycle too. Any excess amount of testosterone disrupts the system through which menstruation occurs, which can lead to the absence of ovulation. As leading gynecologists noticed, failures can affect sexual desire and libido will increase to an alarming scale.