Serum Androgen Levels and Their Relationship to Pattern and Severity of Hair Growth in Hirsute Women Presenting at a Private Centre in Hyderabad

The study conducted at a private cosmetic center in Hyderabad in 2007 involved 65 hirsute women and 20 controls to examine the relationship between serum androgen levels and hair growth severity. It found that 40% of the hirsute patients had elevated serum androgen levels, with 21 of these having polycystic ovaries. A significant correlation was observed between higher androgen levels and severe hirsutism, as indicated by Ferriman-Gallwey scores of 8 or more. Conversely, mild hormone elevation corresponded with milder hirsutism. The study concluded that serum androgen levels were significantly associated with the severity of hair growth in hirsute women.