Red Hot Mamas In Charge of Change.
By: Red Hot Mamas
Published: September 11, 2012
As women age, they start noticing the telltale signs: fine wrinkles, dry, sagging skin, thinning hair and weight gain around their middle! I can look at a menopausal woman in her fifties or sixties and tell you if she’s taking estrogen. Many menopausal women resort to cosmetic surgery, Botox and fillers to look younger. It makes more sense to first restore normal estrogen balance!
By increasing collagen in the skin, estrogen enhances the results of any procedures you choose to do. Having regular monthly facials, avoiding excessive sun & tanning booths and taking at least 1000 IU of Vitamin D3 also support healthy skin. Higher doses of Vitamin D3 should be monitored by your physician.
Without estrogen, thinning of the hair develops, even in women who used to have plenty of hair. This occurs because menopausal ovaries often continue to produce testosterone. Even small amounts of testosterone, without estrogen, can lead to loss of scalp hair and growth of facial hair! That’s why you often see older women with balding, whiskers and a deepening of their voices! At menopause, singers may notice they can’t hit those high notes like before.
Estrogen delays the middle age spread by combating insulin resistance. Be sure to avoid ORAL estrogen that can worsen weight gain in many women! Oral estrogen also causes harmful products and blood clots that lead to an increase in heart attacks and strokes! Instead, choose natural, bioidentical pharmaceutical topical estrogen that can be found in any drug store in the form of patches, gels, creams or mists. Compounded bioidentical hormones do NOT meet the same strict manufacturing standards for quality control and effectiveness. Remember that estrogen offers the most protection against heart disease, strokes, Alzheimer’s and osteoporosis when initiated within ten years of menopause. Don’t cheat yourself by waiting too long!
About the Author: Marina Johnson, M.D., F.A.C.E., pharmacist, board-certified endocrinologist is author of “Outliving Your Ovaries: An Endocrinologist Reviews the Risks and Rewards of Treating Menopause with Hormone Replacement.” Check out her website at www.drmarinajohnson.com. Learn more about Dr. Johnson and our other Red Hot Mamas advisors.
