Discover the Best HRT for Skin and Hair

As you get older, your skin can look duller, your hair thinner, and you will develop more wrinkles. But changes in your hormone levels can speed these processes up. Hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone are vital for keeping your hair and skin looking youthful. 

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can help if your hormone levels are out of balance. HRT supplements your body with bioidentical hormones to assist in reducing the adverse effects of hormonal imbalances. These can happen because of perimenopause, menopause, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), or any other range of reasons. 

There are a lot of different kinds of HRT solutions you can opt for, as well as a range of delivery methods, so in this article, we’ll look at the best ones for skin and hair. We’ll also tell you how Hairy Hair can help with hair loss.

How Do Hormones Affect Your Skin and Hair?

There are three main hormones that allow your skin and hair to function properly. These need to be balanced to see smooth skin and strong hair growth. 

Estrogen

This hormone promotes hyaluronic acid production, which helps retain moisture in the skin, making it plump and well-hydrated. As estrogen levels decline, your skin has a harder time holding onto that crucial moisture, which can cause it to become dry and dull. 

Estrogen is also required for collagen production. This protein gives skin structure and elasticity, which your hair can also benefit from. Collagen provides amino acids for the production of keratin (the main protein in hair) and also acts as an antioxidant to help fight free radical damage. 

When estrogen declines, so does collagen production. This causes more wrinkles and sagging skin. In fact, women lose up to 30% of collagen during the first five years of menopause, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. While it tends to slow down after this, women still lose around 2% of their collagen every year for the following 20 years. 

Progesterone

Progesterone also counters testosterone excess that stimulates oil production. The hormone keeps your scalp and skin sebum (natural oils) in balance. Healthy skin and hair require a balanced sebum.

If you overproduce sebum, your hair and skin are oily, which predisposes pores to clogging up and gives rise to breakouts. Underproduction of sebum makes your hair and skin dry, brittle, and more susceptible to cracking.

Microorganisms’ study found that sebum and the bacterial and fungal microbiomes of the scalp are connected to the development of androgenetic alopecia (pattern baldness).

Progesterone also works along with estrogen to help heal wounds and start the skin regeneration process.

Testosterone

In addition to being found in men, women also have testosterone, albeit in smaller amounts. Testosterone is needed for stimulating hair follicles to produce hair and thicken it. It’s particularly worth keeping an eye on during menopause since testosterone may convert to a hormone named dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

This hormone binds to hair follicles and makes them miniaturise with time. As the hair follicles become thinner and produce thinner hair strands, they even stop producing hair. If there is a history of hair loss, you can be more susceptible to the negative effects of DHT, leading to irreversible loss of hair if not treated.

What are the Signs of a Hormonal Imbalance?

Hormonal imbalances can be caused by more than menopause. Illnesses or lifestyle factors, like type 2 diabetes or sudden weight loss, might cause your hormones to fluctuate.

Signs to look out for include:

• Dry hair
• Dull skin
• Increased acne
• Mood swings
• Irregular sleep patterns
• Changes in libido and sexual function
• Fluctuating periods
• Hot flashes

You can talk to your doctor if you have any of these symptoms. A blood test is able to diagnose a hormonal imbalance and initiate treatment.

HRT Options for Skin and Hair

Hormone therapy will replenish declining hormone levels and help reverse damage to your skin and hair resulting from hormonal shifts. You can be treated for HRT in different forms, such as pills, creams, patches, and injections. 

Changes are achievable using these methods, but injections are more precise and regulated forms of releasing hormones. Injections are typically done to your personal levels of hormones, and you get the optimal dose for what you require. You ought to get your hormone levels monitored regularly so you get the right care.

Let’s look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of these methods more closely:

Always follow your healthcare professional’s advice in choosing the best HRT for skin and hair. For example, HRT is given as estrogen hormone therapy alone or with estrogen and progestin. Combined HRT is prescribed more because estrogen-alone HRT can cause cancer. It’s therefore only recommended in case you have had a hysterectomy.

According to Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, women who were diagnosed with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer who took estrogen therapy had an 80% higher risk of recurrence compared to those not on HRT.

How Can You Maintain Healthy Hair and Skin?

HRT is not the sole solution for thinning locks or dry skin during menopause. Look at your hair and skin treatment as a whole, complementing HRT or remedying the root reasons behind shedding and dull skin.

Getting the right balance of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and proteins can help ensure your hair and skin are getting the essential vitamins and minerals they need. Fatty fish like salmon and tuna provide omega-3 fatty acids that can help nourish skin and hair to boost shine and elasticity. Staying hydrated is also crucial since you lose more moisture during menopause than normal. 

Stress can cause further fluctuations in your hormones, which can cause skin and hair health to deteriorate. Stay relaxed with intermittent meditation or yoga to assist with your general health. Scalp massages possess a two-in-one effect: they minimise stress and increase blood flow to your scalp. That provides your hair follicles with an injection of boosted activity for healthy hair growth.

Keep your scalp healthy with a gentle shampoo and conditioner suited to your hair type. Balancing your wash routine is vital to creating a scalp environment conducive to hair growth. Overwashing your hair can cause it to become dry and strip it of necessary sebum. If your scalp isn’t regularly cleansed, the excess sebum buildup can block your pores.

What Can Hairy Hair do to Help with my Hair Loss?

Hormonal fluctuations are stressful – not only mentally, but they can play havoc with your skin and hair. HRT is a solution to balancing your hormonal levels, which can be an assurance for healthy skin and hair growth. There is a range of options to choose from for HRT treatments like patches, pills, creams, and injections, depending on your lifestyle and preferences.

Talking to your doctor is essential if you’re worried about your hormone levels. A blood test can help determine the issue and advise on the best course of action. However, if you’re not dealing with an underlying problem like female pattern baldness, regulating hormone levels through HRT treatment may not be enough to alleviate increased shedding.

If you want to combat hair loss effectively, contact Hairy Hair. Our targeted treatment, designed for men and women, aims to tackle the root causes of hair loss. The hair growth solution works by helping to widen blood vessels on the scalp to provide your follicles with increased nutrients and aims to lower DHT levels, which can give your hair a chance to grow strong.

When you’re ready to start, fill in our short online form. Once we have more information about you and your hair loss, one of our qualified Australian GPs will review your details and formulate a bespoke treatment plan based on your needs. They’ll call you to confirm the details, and your prescription will be ready to ship straight to your door for a discreet and convenient solution.