Excess hair growth, acne and other androgen impact in women with PCOS

Dre. Karen Desrosiers

Regarding increased male hormones that we call hyperandrogenism, it can be clinical or through your blood tests. The first thing we check when we want to look for increased male hormones is hirsutism. What it means it means increased hair. Hair that will be longer, thicker, darker in an area that usually male have increased hair.

The other sign that we can see is acne. Acne will affect about one third of patients. And it’s not just simple acne, it’s really severe acne that patients will have on their face. Alopecia, which is loss of hair. It’s another sign that we can see, but it’s usually later in life. That’s why when we talk of adolescence, most of the symptoms or signs they will have will be hirsutism and the acne.

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