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High Testosterone In Women: Causes, Symptoms & How To Treat In 2024

Emma

Updated on - Written by
Medically reviewed by Kathy Shattler, MS, RDN

high testosterone in women
Excess testosterone leads to various secondary problems. Photo: Nghi Tran

Plenty of men fear one day waking up with low testosterone (also called low T). For women, it’s the opposite. Healthy hormone levels in perfect balance mean that nothing is being overproduced or underproduced. An excess of the male hormone testosterone brings with it a host of secondary problems. 

Can you reduce female testosterone naturally at home? Here’s everything that you need to know about abnormal testosterone levels in women and how you can overcome high testosterone yourself, either on your own or with the help of your physician.

What Causes High Levels Of Testosterone In Women? 

Normal testosterone levels for women fall somewhere between 0.25–1.73 nmol/L[1]. Things like smoking, being overweight, having diabetes, and even being young have all been positively correlated with higher total testosterone concentrations in blood serum.

Other risk factors and disorders[2] that may compel the body to produce too much testosterone also include:

Contrary to popular belief, postmenopausal women are not necessarily more likely[5] to experience high levels of male hormones purely through the end of their menstrual cycle. However, excessive testosterone in postmenopausal women has been linked[6] to breast cancer and even insulin resistance.

High Testosterone In Women Symptoms

High Testosterone In Women Symptoms
You may develop follicles in places where you had no body hair or facial hair before. Photo: Kateryna Artsybasheva/Shutterstock

Identifying symptoms of high testosterone in women is not always easy to self-diagnose. Body hair growth is one commonly cited symptom, but what else will high testosterone levels in women do? If you fear that you suffer from high testosterone, be on the look-out for these common indicators of hormone imbalance:

  • Too much testosterone may impact the female reproductive tissue, causing your period to lapse or become irregular
  • Excess hair growth may develop follicles in places where you had no body hair or facial hair before; increased body hair is one of the hallmark signs of high testosterone  in women
  • At the other end of the spectrum may be balding for some women, ironically enough
  • Elevated testosterone may cause changes in the female genitalia
  • Male sex hormones in excess might also cause your voice to deepen
  • This hormonal disorder may also cause you to sweat excessively
  • Weight gain in the form of an increase in muscle mass may throw your healthy weight out of whack
  • Mood changes are not uncommon in many women with testosterone outside of the accepted normal range

Excess body hair and smaller breasts are far from the extent of it. The emotional toll that testosterone imbalance causes might end up overshadowing things like unwanted hair – disruptions in the reproductive cycle will usually be much more of a problem for most.

How Can A Woman Lower Testosterone Levels Naturally?

Beyond cosmetic fixes like shaving or depilatories for male pattern hair growth, there are plenty of natural remedies that you can employ to achieve low testosterone levels, improve bodily functions, and regulate mood swings.

To ease the pain of this underlying medical condition, you can try these tips for high testosterone levels:

Those struggling with polycystic ovary syndrome, and other serious issues of the adrenal glands should, of course, receive a blood test and adhere to the medical treatments prescribed to improve PCOS symptoms and actually to address the underlying disorder. 

What Is An Androgen?

Androgens, like testosterone, are produced in the ovaries, fat cells, adrenal glands, and skin cells. They’re usually regarded as being male hormones exclusively, but this isn’t necessarily the case. Without small amounts of free testosterone in the female body, for example, a woman wouldn’t be able to carry a male fetus.

Ordinarily, women will have anywhere from one-tenth to one-twentieth of the same androgens present in the male system, testosterone included. A physical examination and blood tests may be able to detect higher levels than usual of the male sex hormone by testing the blood sample for higher-than-average testosterone levels in women.

What About Androgen Deficiency?

fatigue
Androgen deficiency can cause fatigue and many other symptoms. Photo: NDAB Creativity/Shutterstock

The male sex hormone is just as important as the female sex hormone. Low levels of testosterone have been linked[8] to heart disease, among other long-term issues.

Cardiovascular disease isn’t the only thing the testosterone-deficient needs to worry about. While testosterone imbalances in the female body are generally regarded as dysfunctional, testosterone plays a role in personal mood and well-being, just like in men. 

Low testosterone, also known as androgen deficiency, may wreak its brand of havoc on your body. Some signs of androgen deficiency may include:

  • Lethargy, fatigue, and tiredness
  • Loss of muscle mass and bone mass
  • Weakness
  • A lack of libido and sex drive
  • Low morale and a lack of motivation
  • Lower levels of self-perceived well-being
  • Poor mood, depression, and irritability

Balance is key, and you should seek professional medical advice if you’re experiencing a hormonal imbalance of any type. You can balance hormone levels through several strategies and supplements.

If you’re on the other side of the coin, however, and are experiencing high testosterone symptoms, there are more than a few ways that you can treat high testosterone naturally at home.

Testosterone And Its Impact On Women’s Health

Who would have thought that the male sex hormone plays such a vital role in female health?

Whether the source of your high testosterone is stress or something more serious like polycystic ovary syndrome, it’s not difficult to find balance once again. Talk to your doctor to see if any of the solutions above are right for you.


+ 8 sources

Health Canal avoids using tertiary references. We have strict sourcing guidelines and rely on peer-reviewed studies, academic researches from medical associations and institutions. To ensure the accuracy of articles in Health Canal, you can read more about the editorial process here

  1. Vesper, H.W., Wang, Y., Vidal, M., Botelho, J.C. and Caudill, S.P. (2015). Serum Total Testosterone Concentrations in the US Household Population from the NHANES 2011–2012 Study Population. Clinical Chemistry, [online] 61(12), pp.1495–1504. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC5698798/
  2. ‌Medlineplus.gov. (2020). Ovarian overproduction of androgens: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. [online] Available at: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001165.htm [Accessed 27 Feb. 2022].
  3. ‌Frias, J. (2002). EFFECTS OF ACUTE ALCOHOL INTOXICATION ON PITUITARY-GONADAL AXIS HORMONES, PITUITARY-ADRENAL AXIS HORMONES, beta-ENDORPHIN AND PROLACTIN IN HUMAN ADULTS OF BOTH SEXES. Alcohol and Alcoholism, [online] 37(2), pp.169–173. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11912073/
  4. ‌Hackney, A.C. and Willett, H.N. (2020). Testosterone Responses to Intensive, Prolonged Endurance Exercise in Women. Endocrines, [online] 1(2), pp.119–124. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC7695234/
  5. ‌Burger, H.G. (2002). Androgen production in women. Fertility and Sterility, [online] 77, pp.3–5. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12007895/
  6. ‌Yasui, T., Matsui, S., Tani, A., Kunimi, K., Yamamoto, S. and Irahara, M. (2012). Androgen in postmenopausal women. The Journal of Medical Investigation, [online] 59(1,2), pp.12–27. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22449989/#:~:text=High%20testosterone%20level%20has%20been,breast%20cancer%20in%20postmenopausal%20women.
  7. ‌Nadjarzadeh, A., Dehghani Firouzabadi, R., Vaziri, N., Daneshbodi, H., Lotfi, M.H. and Mozaffari-Khosravi, H. (2013). The effect of omega-3 supplementation on androgen profile and menstrual status in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: A randomized clinical trial. Iranian Journal of reproductive medicine, [online] 11(8), pp.665–72. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC3941370/
  8. Armeni, E. and Lambrinoudaki, I. (2017). Androgens and cardiovascular disease in women and men. Maturitas, [online] 104, pp.54–72. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28923177/
Emma

Medically reviewed by:

Kathy Shattler

Emma Garofalo is a writer based in Pittsburgh, PA. A lover of science, art, and all things culinary, few things excite her more than the opportunity to learn about something new." It is now in the sheet in the onboarding paperwork, apologies!!

Medically reviewed by:

Kathy Shattler

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