Androgens in Women: Role in Androgen-Mediated Cutaneous Disorders

October 2018 in “ Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology ”

Amanda Bienenfeld, Sarah Azarchi, Kristen Lo Sicco, Shari Marchbein, Jerry Shapiro, Arielle R. Nagler

Studysummary This review discusses the role of androgens in women's skin-related conditions like acne, hirsutism, and female pattern hair loss, noting the lack of dermatology guidelines for when to pursue endocrinologic evaluation.

Automatically generated from the study's abstract, not written by a person, and not a review of the full paper. Not medical advice or a treatment recommendation. Read the original study, and consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing treatment. Full disclaimer

View this study on jaad.org →

Discuss this study in the Community →

Research cited in this study

41 / 41 results

research Is Acne a Sign of Androgen Excess Disorder or Not?

21 citations , January 2017 in “European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology”

This study suggests that acne is often associated with hyperandrogenemia in women, contradicting previous recommendations that acne is not linked to androgen excess disorders.

research Hormonal Therapies for Acne

26 citations , October 2016 in “Clinics in Dermatology”

This article discusses various hormonal therapies for acne and provides practical treatment guidelines for managing hormonally related acne, but it reports no new research findings.

research Androgen Excess: Investigations and Management

82 citations , May 2016 in “Best Practice & Research in Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology”

This article outlines the clinical features, evaluation, and treatment strategies for androgen excess in polycystic ovary syndrome, highlighting important diagnostic and management approaches but reporting no new research results.

research Cutaneous Findings and Systemic Associations in Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

53 citations , December 2015 in “JAMA Dermatology”

This study found that hirsutism and acanthosis nigricans are the most reliable skin markers for diagnosing polycystic ovary syndrome in women and suggest a need for further evaluation of possible metabolic issues.

American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, American College of Endocrinology, and Androgen Excess and PCOS Society Disease State Clinical Review: Guide to the Best Practices in the Evaluation and Treatment of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome - Part 1

research American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, American College of Endocrinology, and Androgen Excess and PCOS Society Disease State Clinical Review: Guide to the Best Practices in the Evaluation and Treatment of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome - Part 1

343 citations , October 2015 in “Endocrine Practice”

This review discusses the diagnostic criteria and management strategies for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and highlights the need for comprehensive clinical assessment, but does not report new clinical findings.

research Evidence-Based Approach to Cutaneous Hyperandrogenism in Women

42 citations , July 2015 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

This review discusses diagnostic and treatment considerations for women with cutaneous hyperandrogenism, noting therapeutic options are more effective for hirsutism and acne than for androgenetic alopecia, but reports no new clinical results.

research Acne in Women

30 citations , June 2015 in “British Journal of Dermatology”

Acne is common in women, often hormone-related, negatively affects quality of life, and requires various treatments.

research Is Hormonal Treatment Still an Option in Acne Today?

31 citations , June 2015 in “British Journal of Dermatology”

Hormonal treatments are effective as a second-line option for moderate-to-severe acne in females, but should be used with caution due to health risks.

research Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Review for Dermatologists

60 citations , October 2014 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

This review examines the definition, etiology, pathogenesis, and clinical features of polycystic ovary syndrome but reports no new clinical findings.

research Management of Endocrine Disease: Hyperandrogenism After Menopause

84 citations , September 2014 in “European journal of endocrinology”

This review examines the causes and characteristics of androgen excess in postmenopausal women, but reports no new clinical results; the authors emphasize challenges in diagnosis and potential long-term health impacts.

research Androgenic Hormone Profile of Adult Women with Acne

33 citations , January 2013 in “Dermatology”

This study found that among women above 15 years with acne, 54.56% exhibited hyperandrogenism, with dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels most frequently elevated.

research The Role of Androgen and Androgen Receptor in Skin-Related Disorders

124 citations , July 2012 in “Archives of Dermatological Research”

This review discusses the roles of androgens and androgen receptors in skin-related disorders and suggests that targeting androgen receptors may be a more effective treatment strategy.

Hair Follicle Stem Cell Differentiation Is Inhibited Through Cross-Talk Between Wnt/β-Catenin and Androgen Signaling in Dermal Papilla Cells From Patients With Androgenetic Alopecia

research Hair Follicle Stem Cell Differentiation Is Inhibited Through Cross-Talk Between Wnt/β-Catenin and Androgen Signaling in Dermal Papilla Cells From Patients With Androgenetic Alopecia

95 citations , January 2012 in “British Journal of Dermatology”

This study found that androgens inhibit hair follicle stem cell differentiation by disrupting the Wnt signalling pathway in dermal papilla cells, but Wnt activation can restore differentiation.

Consensus on Women's Health Aspects of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: The Amsterdam ESHRE/ASRM-Sponsored 3rd PCOS Consensus Workshop Group

research Consensus on Women's Health Aspects of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: The Amsterdam ESHRE/ASRM-Sponsored 3rd PCOS Consensus Workshop Group

1514 citations , December 2011 in “Fertility and sterility”

This consensus report reviews current knowledge and identifies knowledge gaps concerning the various health aspects of polycystic ovary syndrome, without presenting new clinical findings.

research Hormonal Changes in Menopause: Do They Contribute to a Midlife Hair Crisis in Women?

38 citations , December 2011 in “British Journal of Dermatology”

This review discusses the influence of menopausal status on hair parameters in women without alopecia, finding significant differences in hair growth rate, percentage anagen, and hair diameter distributions, particularly in the frontal scalp.

Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Management of Hirsutism: A Consensus Statement by the Androgen Excess and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Society

research Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Management of Hirsutism: A Consensus Statement by the Androgen Excess and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Society

378 citations , November 2011 in “Human reproduction update”

This review discusses the epidemiology, causes, diagnosis, and management of hirsutism in women, noting that effective treatment requires addressing the root cause as well as the hair growth.

research How Should Postmenopausal Androgen Excess Be Evaluated?

63 citations , March 2011 in “Clinical Endocrinology”

This review examines the evaluation and management of hirsutism and hyperandrogenism in postmenopausal women and reports no new clinical findings.

research Hormonal Therapy for Acne: Why Not as First Line Therapy? Facts and Controversies

76 citations , December 2009 in “Clinics in Dermatology”

This review discusses the indications, contraindications, and potential for using hormonal therapy as a first-line treatment for acne in females, but reports no new clinical results.

research Acne and Systemic Disease

76 citations , November 2009 in “Medical Clinics of North America”

This article reviews the hormonal and medication-related factors associated with acne development but does not present new research findings.

research Hormones and the Pilosebaceous Unit

97 citations , March 2009 in “Dermato-endocrinology”

This review explores the role of hormones in pilosebaceous units and associated skin disorders, focusing on androgen action, without presenting new clinical findings.

research Androgen Dependence of Hirsutism, Acne, and Alopecia in Women

105 citations , January 2009 in “Medicine”

This study found that ethinylestradiol and high-dose cyproterone acetate significantly reduced hirsutism scores and were effective for treating acne and alopecia in women with hyperandrogenism.

research The Clinical Evaluation of Hirsutism

67 citations , September 2008 in “Dermatologic therapy”

This paper reviews causes of hirsutism in women and emphasizes the importance of identifying underlying conditions for risk assessment, though it reports no new clinical findings.

research Androgens and Hair Growth

209 citations , September 2008 in “Dermatologic Therapy”

This review discusses the role of androgens in hair follicle regulation and suggests that a better understanding could enhance treatments for conditions like hirsutism and alopecia, but does not present new findings.

research Hair Loss in Women

129 citations , October 2007 in “The New England Journal of Medicine”

This article discusses the evaluation and management of a 45-year-old woman with diffuse scalp-hair loss and reports no new clinical findings.

research Sexual Hormones in Human Skin

305 citations , February 2007 in “Hormone and metabolic research”

This review discusses the roles of androgens and estrogens in skin functions and disorders, and highlights the use of estrogen-progestin treatments and anti-androgens in managing hirsutism and acne, without reporting new results.

research Dermatology of Androgen-Related Disorders

67 citations , July 2006 in “Clinics in Dermatology”

This review discusses the dermatologic manifestations of hyperandrogenism in women and outlines the diagnostic approach and treatment options, reporting no new clinical results.

research Diagnosis of Hyperandrogenism: Clinical Criteria

85 citations , June 2006 in “Best Practice & Research Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism”

This review outlines the challenges in diagnosing hyperandrogenism in women, focusing on its manifestations like hirsutism, acne, and virilization, but provides no new results.

Comparison of Clinical and Laboratory Characteristics of Cases with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Based on Rotterdam’s Criteria and Women with Only Oligo/Anovulation or Hirsutism

research Comparison of Clinical and Laboratory Characteristics of Cases with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Based on Rotterdam’s Criteria and Women with Only Oligo/Anovulation or Hirsutism

38 citations , May 2006 in “Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics”

This study reported that women with PCOS had higher levels of certain hormones and lower SHBG levels compared to non-PCOS women with similar symptoms, highlighting a less favorable endocrine profile in PCOS cases.

research Relative Prevalence of Different Androgen Excess Disorders in 950 Women Referred Because of Clinical Hyperandrogenism

352 citations , January 2006 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism”

This study reported that classic anovulatory PCOS was the most common androgen excess disorder, followed by mild ovulatory PCOS and idiopathic hyperandrogenism, among patients evaluated for clinical hyperandrogenism.

research Hirsutism

271 citations , December 2005 in “New England journal of medicine/The New England journal of medicine”

This article discusses evaluation and treatment options for a 19-year-old woman with slowly progressive hair growth and reports no new clinical findings.

research Female Pattern Hair Loss, Sebum Excretion, and the End-Organ Response to Androgens

31 citations , October 2005 in “British Journal of Dermatology”

This study found that sebum excretion is not increased in women with female pattern hair loss, suggesting nonandrogenic factors may contribute to hair loss in some women without hirsutism.

research The Prevalence of Androgen Excess Among Patients With Minimal Unwanted Hair Growth

83 citations , December 2004 in “American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology”

research Androgen Action on Human Skin – From Basic Research to Clinical Significance

147 citations , October 2004 in “Experimental dermatology”

This paper reviews the role of androgens in human skin function and the challenges in developing treatments for androgen-associated disorders, reporting no new experimental results.

research Androgen Excess in Women: Experience with Over 1000 Consecutive Patients

947 citations , February 2004 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism”

In this study, polycystic ovary syndrome was the most prevalent cause of androgen excess, and suppressive hormonal therapy improved hirsutism, menstrual dysfunction, and acne in most patients, though side effects were common.

research Revised 2003 Consensus on Diagnostic Criteria and Long-Term Health Risks Related to Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

4025 citations , December 2003 in “Human Reproduction”

This review discusses the evolution of diagnostic criteria for polycystic ovary syndrome and emphasizes its association with various metabolic and cardiovascular risks, but it provides no new research findings.

research Production Rates of Testosterone and Dihydrotestosterone in Female Pattern Hair Loss

17 citations , July 2003 in “Metabolism-clinical and Experimental”

This study found that young women with female-pattern hair loss exhibit increased testosterone production rates while dihydrotestosterone production rates remain within or below the normal range.

research Human Skin Is a Steroidogenic Tissue: Steroidogenic Enzymes and Cofactors Are Expressed in Epidermis, Normal Sebocytes, and an Immortalized Sebocyte Cell Line (SEB-1)

289 citations , May 2003 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

This study demonstrates that human skin is capable of steroid hormone synthesis, but its role in androgenic skin disorders like acne and alopecia is yet to be clarified.

research Molecular Mechanisms Regulating Hair Follicle Development

854 citations , February 2002 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology”

This review summarizes recent advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms of hair follicle formation and discusses potential future clinical applications for treating hair loss and skin tumors, but it reports no new clinical results.

research American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists Medical Guidelines for Clinical Practice for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Hyperandrogenic Disorders

89 citations , March 2001 in “Endocrine practice”

This article provides diagnosis and treatment guidelines for hyperandrogenic disorders in women but reports no new clinical results; it offers a summary of accepted scientific information and suggestions for clinical practice.

research Hair Density, Hair Diameter, and the Prevalence of Female Pattern Hair Loss

234 citations , February 2001 in “British Journal of Dermatology”

FPHL affects hair density and diameter, causing visible hair loss in older women.

research The Human Sebocyte Culture Model Provides New Insights Into Development and Management of Seborrhoea and Acne

198 citations , January 1998 in “Dermatology”

This review discusses human sebocyte in vitro models for studying sebaceous gland function and control but reports no new clinical results, highlighting hormonal effects and the impact of retinoids on sebocyte activity.