Age has a profound effect on all functions of the body, especially in females. Below, you’ll learn about the function of a prominent hormone, estrogen, and how women are affected when estrogen levels begin to decrease.
- What are Hormones?
Hormones are chemical messengers that carry instructions from one cell to another. They regulate growth, brain and body development, puberty, metabolism, emotions, tissue formulation and function, sexual function and reproduction, the way our bodies use food, and more.
- Why Is Estrogen Important?
Estrogen is a dominant hormone in the female body that controls the growth and development of female sexual characteristics, including menstruation and reproduction. Estrogen is made up of a group of hormones and is produced in the ovaries, adrenal glands, and fat tissues. This vital hormone travels through the bloodstream and targets tissues in the breasts, uterus, brain, liver, heart, bone, and skin. Estrogen is also responsible for triggering the changes that take place during the initial stages of menstruation, including the swelling of the breasts and thickening of the uterine wall.
- What happens in Peri-Menopause and Menopause?
As a woman progresses through her thirties, her estrogen levels are steadily declining. She may notice these changes in the skin first. Falling estrogen levels create a decline in collagen and elastin production in the skin, creating the tell-tale fine lines and wrinkles that appear in the 30's and 40's. As a woman approaches menopause and the level of estrogen falls further, the actions of testosterone become less opposed, thus these women begin to notice unsightly facial hair, oily skin, and acne that they had never had before. With the complete cessation of estrogen production, the skin becomes thin, inelastic, and dry, with prominent textural changes and wrinkling. Vaginal dryness becomes a problem as well. This is also when atherosclerosis becomes more common in the coronary arteries, leading to heart disease.
How Can Hormone Therapy Help Peri- and Post-Menopausal Women?
Estrogen tells the female body when to prepare for pregnancy, but it also provides women with a youthful glow to their skin, supplies nutrients to their joints, and drives sexual desire. However, all women reach an age when their bodies can no longer bear children, at which point estrogen levels decrease. Bioidentical Hormone Therapy replenishes menopausal women with the estrogen and other hormones they need to continue feeling and looking young.
Hormone therapy essentially turns back the clock, giving women a few more years to enjoy pain-free joints, vibrantly glowing skin, normal sex drive, and strong hair, nails, and bones.
If you would like to undergo Bioidentical Hormone Therapy, then visit the Sholar Center. Our medical facility specializes in helping women and men find solutions to their cosmetic, health, and aging concerns. We perform cosmetic surgery, offer age management programs, have an extensive array of salon and spa treatments, and more. Call us at (812) 618-1976 to schedule your consultation appointment.