For women
As in men, the population baseline has shifted since the 1980s. Testosterone is a tissue-protective hormone for women too — governing bone density, muscle tone, cognition and libido.
Chart 01
nmol/L. The shaded band is the 1980 elite top-10% range. A 70-year-old woman today is typically an order of magnitude below the level her grandmother's cohort carried.
Symptoms follow the absolute quantity of bioactive hormone — including bone density and muscle mass — rather than age alone.
No deficiency symptoms. Maximal cognition, strong bone density and optimal muscle tone.
Good energy, intact libido, healthy recovery and maintained muscle mass.
Mild loss of mental drive, emerging fatigue and slower restitution.
Marked loss of libido, brain fog, impaired muscle building and early bone loss.
Pronounced exhaustion, depression, advanced sarcopenia and accelerated osteoporosis. Recovery is seen with therapy.
The reference points progressive clinics work against.
| Marker | Age 70 today (unoptimised) | Standard "normal" today | Upper standard today | Elite 1980 / therapy target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total testosterone | 0.3 – 0.7 nmol/L | 0.5 – 1.8 nmol/L | 1.8 – 2.2 nmol/L | 2.0 – 3.5 nmol/L |
| Free testosterone | 0.02 – 0.05 nmol/L | 0.03 – 0.17 nmol/L | 0.17 – 0.25 nmol/L | 0.45 – 0.60 nmol/L |
Why do older women with low measured testosterone develop unwanted facial hair and scalp thinning at the same time? The mechanism is ratio and local conversion, not excess.
Oestrogen falls by up to 90% through menopause while testosterone falls roughly 50% — leaving women relatively androgen-dominant.
Driven partly by insulin resistance, remaining testosterone is converted locally in the follicle to the stronger DHT — causing facial hair alongside scalp hair loss.
BPA and phthalates increase SHBG, binding and inactivating free testosterone even when total levels look acceptable.
Papa (1967) showed topical testosterone thickened atrophic aged skin and improved dermal structure — tissue-level androgen dependence.
The biological difference is large. Female protocols are micro-dosed and transdermal.
| Parameter | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Typical weekly dose | 100 – 180 mg, by body weight and response | 3 – 7 mg — roughly 1/15 to 1/20 of the male dose |
| Preferred method | Frequent subcutaneous injections (2× weekly) | Transdermal bio-identical cream, daily or every second day |
| Why this method | Even levels without large aromatase-driven estrogen swings | Fine, controlled micro-dosing that minimises side-effect risk |
Papa's landmark dermatological work documented that topical testosterone applied to thin, atrophic, aged skin produced measurable tissue improvement: restored dermal thickness and structure, better moisture balance, renewed glow and reduced hyperpigmentation via increased local cell turnover.
It underlines the wider point: testosterone is an essential tissue-protective hormone for women as well as men — and the only way to know where you stand is to measure.
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