Androgen hormones refer to male hormones that promote the development of sexual organs and hair growth. How to reduce them? What is the link with acne?
Definition: What is an androgen hormone?
The term androgen defines the hormones causing the appearance of male sex characteristics such as hairiness. These androgen hormones are naturally secreted by the adrenal glands, testicles, but also the ovaries in women. The best known is the testosterone, produced at a rate twenty times higher by men than by women. In synthetic form, androgens can be used to treat testicular dysfunction and in rare cases states of undernutrition, or bone marrow aplasia. “We all make testosterone but not at the same level, men make a lot more. It is the gonads (testicles in men and ovaries in women) that mainly produce these hormones. The adrenal gland plays an accessory role in the production of testosteroneexcept when she gets carried away“, specifies Dr. Olivier Dupuy, endocrinologist.
What are androgen hormones?
Androgen hormones include:
- testosterone
- dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)
- dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS)
- androstenedione
- androsterone
- androstenediol
- androstanolone
“The main ones are DHEA, Delta4 androstenedione and testosteronethe others are anecdotal and testosterone causes 90% of the effects of androgens“, wishes to clarify the endocrinologist.
What are the adrenal androgen hormones?
“The adrenal androgen hormones are the same as those secreted by the gonads (testicles/ovaries. The only difference is that they are secreted in much smaller quantities“, informs the specialist.
What are androgens in women?
Androgen hormones in women areare the same as in humansto know : testosteronedehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), androstenedione, androsterone, androstenediol and androstanolone.
Androgen hormones act directly on acne
What are the male androgen hormones?
Male androgen hormones are the same as female androgen hormones. The main ones are DHEA, Delta4 androstenedione and testosterone.
“In case of excessive hair growth, a testosterone assay will be performed. If the result is greater than 2 nanograms per ml, an androgen-secreting tumor is suspected, which will lead to examine the adrenal and ovaries. If the diagnosis is confirmed, a surgical intervention. If testosterone is a little higher than normal, it’s in order of frequency, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), pathology often mentioned, which will be sought. In the absence of a cause, we speak ofidiopathic hirsutism“, says the endocrinologist. If there is no desire to pregnancy in the period of female genital activity, an anti-aldosterone treatment such as spironolactone can be put in place to reduce the functioning of androgen hormones. A low-dose estrogen-progestogen pill may also be offered. You should know that the treatment only takes effect after 4 to 6 months.
What is the link with acne?
If androgen hormones have an indirect effect on the hair system, they act directly on the sebaceous glands and the development of acne. At the time of puberty, some teenagers produce too many androgens, which stimulate the overproduction of sebum (seborrhoea) by the sebaceous glands and promote the appearance of acne.
Thanks to Dr Olivier Dupuy, Head of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Nutrition at Paris Saint-Joseph Hospital.