EFFECTS OF OESTROGEN ON THE SKIN AND HEAR
Does oestrogen cause hair growth?
Definitely not, but some tablets given at the menopause are a cocktail of oestrogen (female hormones), and testosterone (male hormones). These certainly may cause hair growth because of the presence of the male hormone. If this has occurred don’t panic. Once the male hormones are stopped and the hair removed, this hair growth will not recur unless the same tablets are recommenced.
Do oestrogens improve the hair on your head?
Hair is said to be improved in texture by oestrogen therapy but this is hard to measure. You can only assess this for yourself. Some patients come to the clinic complaining that their hair is falling out or losing its body and in some instances this condition improves markedly with oestrogen therapy.
Effects of oestrogen on the skin
You have only to look at English skins from moister climates and compare them with our own to see the problem behind our dry and wrinkled skins. With any luck, ours will be the last generation which will be so badly affected by the sun. The next generation have available some wonderful sunscreening creams which have been developed recently, and these are available in pharmaceutical as well as luxury lines. People are more conscious now of the harmful effect of the sun, not only in producing cancer of the skin, which is increasing markedly in this country, but also of the harm it does to the elastic fibres in the deeper layers of the skin, which helps to increase the wrinkles.
There is also, of course, a natural ageing process, and with the decrease in ovarian function this seems to increase.
Can oestrogen replacement improve your skin or prevent it from wrinkling?
Oestrogen increases the layer of subcutaneous fat, giving your skin a softer, smoother texture. The reverse effect occurs when oestrogen levels are falling. Such an effect will occur gradually unless there is a sudden cut off in the supply of oestrogens, as when both the ovaries are removed at operation. Some women in our clinics refuse to give up oestrogen because of the beneficial effects on their hair and skin. These effects difficult to monitor but it is; worth reporting as a clinical fact. Two papers have reported these effects.
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