Hormone Therapy Skin

Hormone Therapy Skin

These benefits were seen in women who had consistently used hormone therapy and had been in menopause for at least five years,” said Hugh S. Taylor, M.D., associate professor in the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences at Yale School of Medicine.
We don’t believe hormone therapy will make wrinkles melt away once they’re already there, but the results of our study show that hormone therapy can prevent them. Hormone therapy makes wrinkles less severe and keeps skin more elastic,” Taylor added.
How the Research was Conducted
Taylor and his co-authors compared 11 women who had not used hormone therapy to nine long-term hormone therapy users. Demographics including age, race, sun exposure, sunscreen use, tobacco use and skin type were similar. The researchers made visual assessments of wrinkle severity at 11 facial locations.
A plastic surgeon with no knowledge of which women were using hormone therapy rated the number and severity of wrinkles using a Lemperle scale. The team also measured skin elasticity using a durometer.
Researchers found that rigidity was significantly decreased in hormone therapy users compared to nonusers at both the cheek (1.1 vs. 2.7) and forehead (20 vs. 29). Average wrinkle scores were lower in hormone users than in non-hormone users (1.5 vs. 2.2) on the Lemperle scale.
Skin May Mirror Other Organs
Taylor said that what is happening in the skin may be reflective of the functioning of other organs such as the heart and bone, which might also be benefiting from estrogen therapy. The results suggest that hormone therapy keeps the skin looking younger and healthier and may have cosmetic benefits if started early. Hormones seem to keep the skin healthy, but can’t reverse present skin damage.
Hormone Therapy Carries Risks
Medical researchers and the media have given significant attention to the risks of hormone therapy. For post-menopausal women with Alzheimer’s disease, there is a risk that that estrogen replacement therapy can make memory problems worse. For more information, see Long-Term Estrogen Replacement Therapy in Postmenopausal Women with Alzheimer's Disease.
Hormone therapy has also been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. U.N. Agency Study Links Birth Control Pills and Hormones to Cancer provides useful information about the risk of breast cancer associated with hormone therapy.
The Herbal Alternative
Many women who want to manage menopause symptoms have had good results by rejecting traditional (estrogen/progestin) hormone therapy and using herbal alternatives like Black Cohosh, Dong Quai, Chaste Tree Berry and others. See Hormone Replacement Therapy: Are There Any Good Alternatives? for an overview of herbal alternatives for hormone therapy.
Is Hormone Therapy Right for You?
Hormone Therapy is a controversial issue because there are benefits and risks. If you are a peri-menopausal (pre-menopausal) woman considering hormone therapy to manage menopause symptoms, it’s important to check with your health care practitioner and to do your own research before you decide if hormone therapy is right for you. A good place to start your research is Managing Menopause: Hormone Replacement Therapy.