April 3, 2025 • 10 mins
We dive into five key signs of high testosterone in women, exploring how hormonal imbalances manifest in the body and what each symptom might reveal about your health. This mini-episode offers practical insights to help you decode your body's hormonal signals and understand when testosterone might be playing a role in your symptoms.
• Facial hair growth, especially coarse chin hairs, often indicates elevated testosterone or androgen levels
• Jawline and chin acne can be connected to hormones due to higher concentration of androgen receptors in these areas
• Midsection weight retention may signal higher androgens, particularly during perimenopause or menopause
• Irregular cycles or fertility challenges can result from testosterone's impact on follicle development and ovulation
• PCOS typically requires two of three criteria: irregular cycles, high androgens, or ovarian cysts
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello and welcome to this 95th episode of I'm
Hormonal.
I'm your host, bridget Walton,and today we are gonna be
talking about five signs of hightestosterone.
This is a mini episode, sowe'll hang out for just about 10
minutes, but if you listened tothis week's earlier longer form
episode, I talked at greaterlength about chin hairs or
(00:24):
excess facial hair growth, whatthat means and what you'll want
to know about it, and that's whytoday, in this mini episode,
we're just going to zoom in onwhat these signs of high
testosterone could be, certainly, noting that these signs could
be correlated with other thingstoo.
Right, this isn't just a superone size fits all kind of
(00:44):
approach, but let's see wherethis gets us.
Let's see how this helps you tounderstand what's going on with
your body, your hormones andyour cycle.
Let's go ahead and just dive inNow.
The first thing that I wantedto note is facial hair.
Right, you probably saw thatcoming, since we just talked
about that, but this is a goodone to say okay, if my facial
(01:06):
hair you know, I have thesethick, coarse hairs in your like
, around your chin, then that isa pretty sure sign that
testosterone or other androgenstoo right could be high or
relatively high.
Now, similarly, acne,especially on the chin or
jawline, that can be indicativeof higher, relatively high,
(01:29):
testosterone too.
This is well.
This is because we have moreandrogen receptors in this part
of our skin than others.
So if you're kind of liketrying to map out what's going
on with acne on your face, ofcourse there are many other
causes of acne aside from justtestosterone or androgens.
(01:51):
So let's not get crazy here.
But if you're noticing that youhave acne in the same spot
along your jawline, that cancertainly be tied to
testosterone levels.
Now, third, what I wanted tomention is midsection weight
retention, and this isoftentimes tied to changes in
(02:12):
hormones during perimenopause ormenopause, because as we get
closer to menopause and intomenopause, that's when our
bodies are more likely to havehigh levels of androgens and
kind of be in a state ofandrogen dominance.
A lot of times we hear aboutestrogen dominance.
That can be more common in oursort of younger, cycling years,
(02:36):
but as we get older, our bodywill naturally produce estrogen,
lower levels of androgens, butit still could be more than the
amount of estrogen orprogesterone that you produce in
menopause.
So anyway, that's all to say.
Let me come back to earth.
I went off a little bit there,but for some people who have
(02:58):
this midsection weight retention, it can be because androgens
are relatively high.
It's worth noting too.
Right, there is a nuance.
There is a opposite effect formen in this situation.
So, for women, whentestosterone levels are high,
that can result in weightretention.
That's the opposite for men andvice versa, right.
(03:21):
For normal levels of estrogenin women, that's supportive of,
well, not retaining weight inthe midsection.
However, if men have high orhigher than normal levels of
estrogen, it can result inweight gain around the
midsection.
So there's some nuance there,depending on what's going on
with your phase of life, andjust some nuance between what
(03:44):
you might hear generally beingshared about and you're like
Bridget, that sounds like that's.
I heard that when testosteroneis high, that's better, but that
just is applicable for men inmost cases, or in this case
anyway.
All right.
The fourth thing that I want youto keep in mind is that if you
have irregular cycles or ifyou're having trouble getting
(04:05):
pregnant and you have some ofthese other signs, too right,
you might want to be thinkingabout what's going on with
testosterone or other androgenswhen testosterone levels are
high.
And sorry, quick side note forthis conversation.
I'm kind of using the termstestosterone synonymously with
androgens.
Again, testosterone is a kindof androgen, but I'm kind of
using the terms testosteronesynonymously with androgens.
(04:25):
Again, testosterone is a kindof androgen, but I'm just using
it to identify all androgens,all of these similar hormones
that play a similar role in ourbodies and with regards to our
cycles.
What I was saying is that whentestosterone levels are high,
that can impair folliclematuration.
(04:47):
Right, the follicle is the cozy, warm nest for your egg that's
growing on your ovary and so ifthat follicle isn't able to
properly develop in order tohave a really healthy, good
release of that egg andproduction of progesterone after
it's released, that can impactpregnancies, or continuing,
(05:13):
rather, having a successfulpregnancy is what I mean to say.
So if you're having yourregular cycles, then maybe
you're already thinking aboutwell, what's the root cause here
?
Are you ovulating?
Are your estrogen levels in theright area that they need to be
, or is it something going onwith androgens?
(05:35):
Now the fifth and final signthat I want to mention here
might be obvious if you alreadyknow that you have PCOS, but
PCOS is the fifth sign that Iwant to mention because for
those of you with PCOS, which ispolycystic ovary syndrome, if
you are new to it or new tohearing about it, then PCOS
(05:59):
often results in irregularcycles and in fact, when you are
talking with your doctor forthem to give you a diagnosis of
it, they will be probablylooking for you to have two of
the three following criteriaIt'll either be irregular cycles
, high androgens or cysts likemany cysts, right Polycystic
(06:22):
cysts on your ovaries.
So if you have two of thosethree things, then they might
find you, they might find thatsuitable to diagnose you with
PCOS.
All of these and I'll recap itin they're not a sure thing,
right?
If you have and here they areone excess facial hair, two acne
(06:46):
along your jawline and chin,three midsection weight
retention, four irregular cyclesor trouble getting pregnant, or
five PCOS, that doesn't meanfor sure that you have high
androgen levels or hightestosterone levels, but they
are often associated with it.
So I'm just saying that to saythere is more detective work.
(07:08):
Our bodies are so complex thatit's worth doing some more
investigating instead of justsaying, okay, I'm going to start
slamming spearmint tea becauseit's anti-androgenic and we'll
see what this does for my body.
There's more nuance to it andit's worth working with a
provider, with a practitioner,in order to say, okay, what is
(07:30):
the right plan for me?
But use this as one of thecrumbs along your path to figure
out what that solution is foryou.
All right, team.
That is just about all fortoday.
I hope that this was some goodfood for thought for you.
I hope that this helped you tomaybe understand a little bit
more what the signs that yourbody is sending you actually
(07:53):
mean.
And if you are somebody who youreally are ready to actually
address what's going on in yourbody.
You're tired of trying topicaltreatments or just hoping that
something will change next timeyou get a new face wash, then
take me up on my offer for afree consult call.
You can find the link in theshow notes.
(08:13):
On that note, I'm reallyexcited that I will have a
rebrand coming out for you in inwhat is it?
It'll be May.
We're almost in April now, soI'm coming out in about two
months here, which I'm excitedfor.
What that means for you is anew array of free resources at
(08:34):
your disposal, but it also meansthat the prices of my packaging
are going to change as thosepackages change.
So if you've kind of been onthe fence, you're not sure, if
you want to make change, ifyou're ready to work one-on-one
with a coach like me, then letthis be your sign that, yes, now
is the time, and use the linkthrough the show notes to book
(08:58):
your free strategy.
Call with me if you want tolock in the current pricing
before packages change andpricing goes up.
All right, guys.
Again, my name is Bridget Walton.
Thank you so much for listening.
Let me know what you thoughtabout the episode by rating or
reviewing wherever you arelistening, or if you have any
questions or requests forsubjects, connect with me on
(09:20):
Instagram at Bridget Walton.
I would love to hear what's onyour mind.
If you loved today's episodeand got something good out of it
, make sure you subscribe sothat these episodes show up
automatically in your feed, nowork needed on your side.
Let's put it on autopilot.
As always, I need to give youmy reminder that the information
(09:40):
I share with you here is foreducational purposes only, and
it should not be used as areplacement for medical advice
or diagnosis.
Now, if you are, on the otherhand, in the market for some
one-on-one support, then I wouldlove for you to take me up on
my offer for a free strategycall.
You can find these links andmore in the show notes.
Hello and welcome to this 95th episode of I'm
Hormonal.
I'm your host, bridget Walton,and today we are gonna be
talking about five signs of hightestosterone.
This is a mini episode, sowe'll hang out for just about 10
minutes, but if you listened tothis week's earlier longer form
episode, I talked at greaterlength about chin hairs or
(00:24):
excess facial hair growth, whatthat means and what you'll want
to know about it, and that's whytoday, in this mini episode,
we're just going to zoom in onwhat these signs of high
testosterone could be, certainly, noting that these signs could
be correlated with other thingstoo.
Right, this isn't just a superone size fits all kind of
(00:44):
approach, but let's see wherethis gets us.
Let's see how this helps you tounderstand what's going on with
your body, your hormones andyour cycle.
Let's go ahead and just dive inNow.
The first thing that I wantedto note is facial hair.
Right, you probably saw thatcoming, since we just talked
about that, but this is a goodone to say okay, if my facial
(01:06):
hair you know, I have thesethick, coarse hairs in your like
, around your chin, then that isa pretty sure sign that
testosterone or other androgenstoo right could be high or
relatively high.
Now, similarly, acne,especially on the chin or
jawline, that can be indicativeof higher, relatively high,
(01:29):
testosterone too.
This is well.
This is because we have moreandrogen receptors in this part
of our skin than others.
So if you're kind of liketrying to map out what's going
on with acne on your face, ofcourse there are many other
causes of acne aside from justtestosterone or androgens.
(01:51):
So let's not get crazy here.
But if you're noticing that youhave acne in the same spot
along your jawline, that cancertainly be tied to
testosterone levels.
Now, third, what I wanted tomention is midsection weight
retention, and this isoftentimes tied to changes in
(02:12):
hormones during perimenopause ormenopause, because as we get
closer to menopause and intomenopause, that's when our
bodies are more likely to havehigh levels of androgens and
kind of be in a state ofandrogen dominance.
A lot of times we hear aboutestrogen dominance.
That can be more common in oursort of younger, cycling years,
(02:36):
but as we get older, our bodywill naturally produce estrogen,
lower levels of androgens, butit still could be more than the
amount of estrogen orprogesterone that you produce in
menopause.
So anyway, that's all to say.
Let me come back to earth.
I went off a little bit there,but for some people who have
(02:58):
this midsection weight retention, it can be because androgens
are relatively high.
It's worth noting too.
Right, there is a nuance.
There is a opposite effect formen in this situation.
So, for women, whentestosterone levels are high,
that can result in weightretention.
That's the opposite for men andvice versa, right.
(03:21):
For normal levels of estrogenin women, that's supportive of,
well, not retaining weight inthe midsection.
However, if men have high orhigher than normal levels of
estrogen, it can result inweight gain around the
midsection.
So there's some nuance there,depending on what's going on
with your phase of life, andjust some nuance between what
(03:44):
you might hear generally beingshared about and you're like
Bridget, that sounds like that's.
I heard that when testosteroneis high, that's better, but that
just is applicable for men inmost cases, or in this case
anyway.
All right.
The fourth thing that I want youto keep in mind is that if you
have irregular cycles or ifyou're having trouble getting
(04:05):
pregnant and you have some ofthese other signs, too right,
you might want to be thinkingabout what's going on with
testosterone or other androgenswhen testosterone levels are
high.
And sorry, quick side note forthis conversation.
I'm kind of using the termstestosterone synonymously with
androgens.
Again, testosterone is a kindof androgen, but I'm kind of
using the terms testosteronesynonymously with androgens.
(04:25):
Again, testosterone is a kindof androgen, but I'm just using
it to identify all androgens,all of these similar hormones
that play a similar role in ourbodies and with regards to our
cycles.
What I was saying is that whentestosterone levels are high,
that can impair folliclematuration.
(04:47):
Right, the follicle is the cozy, warm nest for your egg that's
growing on your ovary and so ifthat follicle isn't able to
properly develop in order tohave a really healthy, good
release of that egg andproduction of progesterone after
it's released, that can impactpregnancies, or continuing,
(05:13):
rather, having a successfulpregnancy is what I mean to say.
So if you're having yourregular cycles, then maybe
you're already thinking aboutwell, what's the root cause here
?
Are you ovulating?
Are your estrogen levels in theright area that they need to be
, or is it something going onwith androgens?
(05:35):
Now the fifth and final signthat I want to mention here
might be obvious if you alreadyknow that you have PCOS, but
PCOS is the fifth sign that Iwant to mention because for
those of you with PCOS, which ispolycystic ovary syndrome, if
you are new to it or new tohearing about it, then PCOS
(05:59):
often results in irregularcycles and in fact, when you are
talking with your doctor forthem to give you a diagnosis of
it, they will be probablylooking for you to have two of
the three following criteriaIt'll either be irregular cycles
, high androgens or cysts likemany cysts, right Polycystic
(06:22):
cysts on your ovaries.
So if you have two of thosethree things, then they might
find you, they might find thatsuitable to diagnose you with
PCOS.
All of these and I'll recap itin they're not a sure thing,
right?
If you have and here they areone excess facial hair, two acne
(06:46):
along your jawline and chin,three midsection weight
retention, four irregular cyclesor trouble getting pregnant, or
five PCOS, that doesn't meanfor sure that you have high
androgen levels or hightestosterone levels, but they
are often associated with it.
So I'm just saying that to saythere is more detective work.
(07:08):
Our bodies are so complex thatit's worth doing some more
investigating instead of justsaying, okay, I'm going to start
slamming spearmint tea becauseit's anti-androgenic and we'll
see what this does for my body.
There's more nuance to it andit's worth working with a
provider, with a practitioner,in order to say, okay, what is
(07:30):
the right plan for me?
But use this as one of thecrumbs along your path to figure
out what that solution is foryou.
All right, team.
That is just about all fortoday.
I hope that this was some goodfood for thought for you.
I hope that this helped you tomaybe understand a little bit
more what the signs that yourbody is sending you actually
(07:53):
mean.
And if you are somebody who youreally are ready to actually
address what's going on in yourbody.
You're tired of trying topicaltreatments or just hoping that
something will change next timeyou get a new face wash, then
take me up on my offer for afree consult call.
You can find the link in theshow notes.
(08:13):
On that note, I'm reallyexcited that I will have a
rebrand coming out for you in inwhat is it?
It'll be May.
We're almost in April now, soI'm coming out in about two
months here, which I'm excitedfor.
What that means for you is anew array of free resources at
(08:34):
your disposal, but it also meansthat the prices of my packaging
are going to change as thosepackages change.
So if you've kind of been onthe fence, you're not sure, if
you want to make change, ifyou're ready to work one-on-one
with a coach like me, then letthis be your sign that, yes, now
is the time, and use the linkthrough the show notes to book
(08:58):
your free strategy.
Call with me if you want tolock in the current pricing
before packages change andpricing goes up.
All right, guys.
Again, my name is Bridget Walton.
Thank you so much for listening.
Let me know what you thoughtabout the episode by rating or
reviewing wherever you arelistening, or if you have any
questions or requests forsubjects, connect with me on
(09:20):
Instagram at Bridget Walton.
I would love to hear what's onyour mind.
If you loved today's episodeand got something good out of it
, make sure you subscribe sothat these episodes show up
automatically in your feed, nowork needed on your side.
Let's put it on autopilot.
As always, I need to give youmy reminder that the information
(09:40):
I share with you here is foreducational purposes only, and
it should not be used as areplacement for medical advice
or diagnosis.
Now, if you are, on the otherhand, in the market for some
one-on-one support, then I wouldlove for you to take me up on
my offer for a free strategycall.
You can find these links andmore in the show notes.
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