Higher testosterone levels can increase the risk of acne, body hair, and other features. They may indicate an underlying health condition. Together with the female sex hormone estrogen, testosterone plays a role in the growth and maintenance of female reproductive tissue and bone mass.
Women who produce exceptionally high levels of testosterone may experience signs of virilization—the development of male physical characteristics (i.e., muscle bulk, body hair on the face, chest, or back, deepening of the voice).
Due to a lack of research on long-term safety, testosterone therapy isn't right for women with heart, blood vessel or liver disease. It's also not for those who've had breast or uterine cancer.
Why is testosterone important for women? For both men and women, testosterone plays a key role in the development and maintenance of muscle mass, strength, energy levels, and bone density.
While testosterone may have some impact in decreasing breast volume in certain individuals, its effects are limited and will definitely not reduce or tighten the breast skin.
High testosterone in women may cause unwanted symptoms like excess hair, acne, infertility, weight gain, and more. The condition is often caused by polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
Normal Results
Normal measurements for these tests: Male: 300 to 1,000 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL) or 10 to 35 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L) Female: 15 to 70 ng/dL or 0.5 to 2.4 nmol/L.
Undergoing T therapy during adolescence (around the age of 16 years and older) may stop the development of female secondary sex characteristics, such as breasts. It may also induce male secondary sex characteristics, such as facial hair.
According to researchers, both sex hormones tend to rise through the eight-week cycle, which is why most women experience mood swings and other effects throughout this period. Testosterone is at its highest somewhere mid-way through the cycle, and the jump is there to ensure mental health, fertility, and sex drive.
You might be thinking; higher sex drive, excess muscles, extra strength. However, that's not the case. While high testosterone levels in a man can sometimes result in increased muscle mass, it also brings with it a whole host of other side effects; acne, mood swings, stunted growth, and weight gain to name just a few.
It is possible to get pregnant if you're taking testosterone, but it's not recommended. This is because taking testosterone in pregnancy may affect the baby's development. If you are taking testosterone and want to get pregnant, talk to the doctor who is prescribing you testosterone.
High testosterone causes
Elevated testosterone will raise your “bad” cholesterol levels, and can thus lead to heart health issues – potentially resulting in a heart attack, cardiovascular disease, or stroke. Risk of sleep apnea and infertility is also heightened if you have high testosterone levels.
Consider taking herbs. White peony, licorice, nettles, spearmint tea, reishi mushroom and others all have research to support testosterone - lowering effects and are commonly used in both PCOS and other cases of elevated testosterone in women.
Since testosterone is an androgen, it can help with hair growth. Though, it leads to the growth of body and facial hair. Sadly, it doesn't improve hair growth where we need the most – on our head. In fact, its excessive amount in our body can lead to hair loss on the scalp.
In women, too much testosterone can cause insulin resistance and abdominal weight gain. That's why androgen excess is a factor in the weight gain associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), menopause, and some types of birth control.
Fluctuating levels of estrogen and testosterone, which are considered sex hormones, may play a role in how much anxiety you experience. Changing levels of these hormones can affect your mood. This is why anxiety sometimes peaks during times of hormonal change such as puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause.
Scientists have also observed a direct correlation between vitamin D and testosterone in women. In a recent cross-sectional study of women, researchers observed a positive, significant correlation between serum 25(OH)D concentrations and total testosterone levels.
When the ovaries start to produce and release (secrete) estrogen, fat in the connective tissue starts to collect. This causes the breasts to enlarge.
The hormone estrogen is produced by the ovaries in the first half of the menstrual cycle. It stimulates the growth of milk ducts in the breasts.
Low testosterone levels can sometimes result in gynecomastia — a form of breast growth that affects men. Gynecomastia can cause your nipples to become swollen or tender. You may be able to feel a growth in the glandular tissue behind one or both of your nipples.
Medication to lower insulin resistance, e.g. pioglitazone or metformin may be prescribed by a physician to help in high testosterone in females treatment. The medication can standardize the testosterone and insulin levels, and thus help to restore normal menstrual cycles.
Testosterone is actually teratogenic (meaning it can cause birth defects) to a fetus. If you are taking testosterone and think you may be pregnant, speak to your healthcare practitioner as soon as possible. If you are pregnant, avoid starting testosterone, as it will harm the developing fetus (5).
The short answer is there isn't a proven link between orgasms and testosterone levels, so we don't know how it affects you in the short term. However, you can take comfort in knowing that masturbating will not negatively affect your testosterone levels—or other aspects of your life—long-term.