By supplementing your body's natural hormone levels, HRT can help you maintain a more youthful body composition. While this effect is particularly evident in men, research suggests that women can also benefit. HRT is also known to help women maintain softer, smoother skin, resulting in a younger look.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been shown to increase epidermal hydration, skin elasticity, skin thickness (Sator et al 2001), and also reduces skin wrinkles (Phillips et al 2001). Furthermore, the content and quality of collagen and the level of vascularization is enhanced (Brincat et al 1987).
The hormone estrogen is responsible for making skin look younger due to the hyaluronic acid it produces. Estrogen not only affects your skin but also your muscle mass, metabolism, and energy levels.
The research, led by Prof Martin Widschwendter at the University of Innsbruck and UCL, found that the longer post-menopausal women were using combined HRT, the slower their cells were ageing. This benefit of slower cell ageing wasn't seen in women with breast cancer who had been using combined HRT.
People of all genders taking HRT report benefits such as more youthful skin, improved skin elasticity, and increased skin firmness. Some data backs up these reports for cisgender women who are experiencing menopause and taking estrogen HRT, but there isn't yet data on forms of HRT for other populations.
Conclusions: Hormone treatment in transwomen induces an increase in cheek tissue and a decrease in jaw tissue. In transmen a tendency of decrease in cheek tissue and an increase in jaw tissue was found. These changes are in the direction of the desired gender. Tebbens M, Nota NM, Liberton NPTJ, et al.
Overall, you may gain or lose weight once you begin hormone therapy, depending on your diet, lifestyle, genetics and muscle mass. Your eyes and face will begin to develop a more feminine appearance as the fat under the skin increases and shifts.
There's no limit on how long you can take HRT, but talk to a GP about how long they recommend you take the treatment. Most women stop taking it once their menopausal symptoms pass, which is usually after a few years.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can affect weight loss in women. In addition to having less abdominal fat, the same study found that women undergoing HRT were almost one whole point lower on the body mass index (BMI) scale, and they had nearly 3 pounds less of fat mass.
If you are healthy, most experts agree that HRT is safe to use at the lowest dose that helps for the shortest time needed. If you're 59 or older, or have been on hormones for 5 years, you should talk to your doctor about quitting.
The oestrogen female face was consistently rated as more attractive, feminine and healthy looking. Future studies should address the nature of facial cues related to hormone levels.
High estrogen is triggering subtle changes in your face that make you feel more beautiful to yourself, and it's making both men and women perceive you as more attractive, too, shows a 2009 study in the journal Biology Letters.
An increase in skin hydration has been demonstrated after 6 months use of topical 0.01% estradiol and 0.3% estriol for six months.
The Menopause and Skin Aging
Many of these effects can be reversed by estrogen replacement which increases epidermal hydration, skin elasticity and skin thickness as well as reducing skin wrinkles and augmenting the content and quality of collagen and the level of vascularisation.
Muscle mass and strength will decrease. Additionally, arms and legs will appear smoother. This is because the fat below the skin becomes thicker. As the fat under the skin increases and moves, the eyes and face may take on a more “feminine” appearance.
Likewise, HRT regulates metabolism, which means the body burns more calories and appetite is reduced. HRT can also help to reduce the risk of obesity-related diseases, such as heart disease and type II diabetes. Additional benefits include reduced hot flashes and night sweats, increased bone density, and improved mood.
However, for other results like weight loss and muscle gain, it can take up to 3-months, which is when studies show 80% of women experience full relief. These are general patterns, and everyone's body responds uniquely to any given treatment.
Weight gain and HRT
Many women believe that taking HRT will make them put on weight, but there's no evidence to support this claim.
There is no specific age cut-off for starting HRT.
Menopausal women who undergo an abrupt discontinuation of HRT may experience the occurrence or reemergence of intense somatic symptoms (as observed, for instance, among those who undergo a surgical menopause), interfering significantly with their sleep pattern, physical well-being and most probably their mood.
"If a woman is taking hormones and other bone-enhancing drugs, she should also take calcium and vitamin D supplements in moderation or get them from dietary sources," he said. Dr.
Research indicates that HRT is an effective way to decrease body fat levels. Another component that's less measurable is the quality of life improvement that many women experience when they utilize HRT.
With that said, one of the physical changes that accompany estrogen hormone replacement therapy is body and facial hair thinning. Those on estrogen GAHT (both estradiol and anti-androgens and/or progesterone) can experience hair thinning on the face, chest, abdomen, legs, and arms.
HRT and Hair Regrowth
Estrogen and progesterone are hormones that aid in healthy hair growth, so when your body stops producing these, it can cause hair loss. Taking HRT can help prevent this loss and may even help regrow hair. In fact, some trans women with androgen alopecia who underwent HRT saw hair regrowth3.