Facial hair growth is common for those on testosterone replacement therapy, although the amount or how quickly will appear greatly varies. Remember, that patience is key when undergoing any changes that come alongside HRT. It can take years for those on testosterone to reach their desired facial hair goals.
Does HRT help? It can certainly help when you get your hormones back into balance. Because when you use estrogen, it helps bind excess testosterone to prevent stimulating facial hair growth. However, HRT will not get rid of the existing facial hair.
The female sex hormone oestrogen makes body hair fine and soft. Androgens are male sex hormones, including testosterone, which are responsible for masculine characteristics such as facial hair and coarse body hair. A woman's ovaries and adrenal glands naturally make a small amount of androgens.
Oral Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) may help to control facial hair in some women (3). Treatments for increased facial hair include use of depilatory creams, gentle methods of hair removal, laser therapy and anti-testosterone medication.
Electrolysis eliminates hairs by killing hair follicles with a targeted electric current. If you can afford it, electrolysis or laser hair removal may be options. These result in the permanent destruction of the hair follicle so it can't grow back.
Bleaching is another method of addressing excess facial hair growth after menopause, but again, this is only masking the problem. Electrolysis is a gentle form of removing the excess facial hair growth after menopause and is the only method that can guarantee that those hairs will not return – ever!
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.
Day, MD, clinical assistant professor of dermatology at New York University Medical Center. As we age, our bodies lose estrogen; testosterone, unopposed, causes us to grow more hair where men have it, on our faces (and to grow less on our heads).
In perimenopause and menopause, estrogen diminishes, but women's testosterone levels may not. The higher ratio of testosterone to estrogen can cause these annoying outcroppings of male-like hairs to sprout.
A recent study of postmenopausal women, ages 50 to 80, found that those who took hormones had significantly lower levels of belly fat than women who did not take hormones.
Hirsutism is excess hair growth on the body or face. It's caused by excess hormones called androgens. For women, the hair may grow in places where men often have a lot of hair, but women often don't. This includes the upper lip, chin, chest, and back.
Everyone's body is different, but most people using estrogen notice hair growth changes within one year of gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT). This includes body hair and facial hair, which will gradually thin out and grow more slowly. You may notice that you need to shave less often.
Aesthetic medical Doctor Sophie Shotter, who treats many menopausal women, explains, “As we approach menopause our oestrogen and progesterone levels drop quicker than our testosterone levels – so we can end up with androgen dominance which can cause unwanted menopause facial hair growth.”
HRT is also known to help women maintain softer, smoother skin, resulting in a younger look. In addition to—and, often, as a result of—these physical changes, HRT often changes how you see yourself. In very real ways, using HRT to address symptoms of hormonal change can help you feel younger.
Recent studies show that menopausal women on hormone therapy tend to have less body fat, especially visceral belly fat. Because estrogen affects how your body distributes fat, low estrogen levels can contribute to gaining fat in your belly area.
This is due to an excess of male hormones called androgens. All women have a small number of androgens, but some women will produce more – and grow more facial and body hair as a result. But don't worry – if your facial hair is bothering you, you've come to the right place.
Most often, peach fuzz refers to those little baby hairs on your face, especially your upper lip, cheek, or chin. Some people have more peach fuzz than others, and some medical conditions like PCOS or Cushing's Syndrome can cause more facial vellus hair to grow, or for it to darken.
Vitamin B6 and Vitamin E
Dietary supplements that contain vitamins B6 and E are also believed to help get rid of unwanted hair growth in the facial areas. For one, vitamin B6 is thought to help lower testosterone in women and inhibit prolactin hormone production.
Aging. Women who are pre menopausal or menopausal are prone to an increase in the growth of hair. This is because of the hormonal changes that are going on within their bodies. If there is a disruption in the balance between estrogen, testosterone and progesterone this can cause hair to grow.