Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) restores your body's oestrogen to an average pre-menopausal level. This treatment relieves menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes, mood swings, osteoporosis and decreased libido. It is also known to help with hair thinning.
Androgens, such as testosterone (T), dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and their prohormones dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and androstenedione (A) are the key factors in the growth of terminal hair.
Estrogen is related to hair growth — and hair loss. During pregnancy, for example, a woman's estrogen levels are higher than normal, which signals more hair follicles to "grow" and fewer to "rest." While estrogen levels are high, women have full, thick hair.
It's important to understand that this is not a quick-fix for hair loss in women. The drug must be used for at least two consecutive months to notice a difference, and the effect is usually noticed around the four-month mark, but it could possibly take longer. A six to 12-month trial is recommended.
Certain HRT products can help to treat female pattern hair loss. The hair- friendly ones are Premique and Indivina (both of these products contain the anti- androgen medroxyprogesterone acetate) and Angeliq (containing drospirenone).
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.
Taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can slow down or even stop hair loss in some women. It is hard to predict who will benefit. Body identical estrogen and progesterone are preferable.
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.
When the levels of estrogen and progesterone drop, hair grows more slowly and becomes much thinner. A decrease in these hormones also triggers an increase in the production of androgens, or a group of male hormones. Androgens shrink hair follicles, resulting in hair loss on the head.
Should you become pregnant in your thirties (or indeed, at any age), the rise in oestrogen and progesterone can make the hair gloriously luscious and thick, especially in the last few months of pregnancy. "Essentially, the increase keeps the hair in the anogen, or 'growth' phase for longer," explained Kingsley.
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.
If you are taking estrogen or E+ medications as a transgender woman, transfeminine person, or nonbinary person, you might experience dramatic or not-so-noticeable changes in your hair growth pattern, hair texture, and even the thickness or natural color of your hair.
Your facial hair may thin a bit and grow slower but it will rarely go away entirely without electrolysis or laser treatments. If you have had any scalp balding, hormone therapy will usually stop it, however the extent to which it will grow back is variable. Some people may notice minor changes in shoe size or height.
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.
For most, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) will decrease new hair growth, but doesn't always dramatically reduce the presence of existing body and chest hair.
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).
Acne can occur when hormone levels become unbalanced during the perimenopause and menopause. HRT and our skin. There is a drop in estrogen levels and a relative increase in the activity of androgen hormones such as testosterone. Once your hormones are rebalanced through HRT this type of acne should clear up.
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.
Estrogen and progesterone can help keep your hair in the growing (anagen) phase. Therefore, these hormones can help your hair stay on your head longer and may even help your hair grow faster. This may be why many women notice their hair thinning starts to improve with estrogen replacement therapy.
The main benefit of HRT is that it can help relieve most menopausal symptoms, such as: hot flushes. night sweats. mood swings.
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.
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.
It's impossible to spot treat an apron belly. The only ways to reduce one are through overall weight reduction and surgical/non-surgical options.