Hirsutism

The possible causes of hirsutism are diverse:

• Male sexual hormones can also occur in women in small quantities, for instance, testosterone. A key function of testosterone is the stimulation of hair growth. The hair growth can be caused e.g. by an increased level of male sexual hormones (androgens) in the blood. Other indications can be loss of head hair (alopecia), an oily facial skin (seborrhoea) and acne (SAHA syndrome).
• It can, however, also be the case that there is a stronger sensitivity of the hair follicles towards testosterone without an increased level of hormones. In cases like these, physiological androgen levels in women cause hair to grow in places where it would otherwise only occur in men (idiopathic hirsutism).
• In women who have gone through menopause, the ratio between testosterone and oestrogen can change. This also often promotes hair growth on the face.
• Hirsutism can occur as a side-effect when particular drugs are taken. The potential drugs that can cause male hair growth in women include e.g. anabolic steroids, glucocorticoids, Ketokonazole, Minoxidil, Phenytoin, Diazoxide, Diphenylhydantoin and D-Penicillamine.

It should be clarified whether a serious illness exists in any case as increased levels of androgens in women can occur in connection with serious diseases of the ovaries or adrenal cortices (e.g. polycystic ovary syndrome, tumours).