Metabolism of androgens by isolated human beard hair follicles

In a study from 1971, isolated human beard hair follicles were exposed to various androgens, including testosterone, androstenedione, and dehydroepiandrosterone, to observe their metabolism. The results showed that testosterone was primarily metabolized into androstenedione, 5α-androstanedione, 5α-dihydrotestosterone, and androsterone. The conversion of androstenedione to testosterone and 5α-dihydrotestosterone was found to be minimal. Dehydroepiandrosterone was metabolized into 5-androstene-3β,17β-diol, 7α-hydroxy-dehydroepiandrosterone, and androstenedione at rates higher than those previously reported for human skin. The study discussed the implications of these metabolic processes in relation to the action mechanism of androgens.