Women are more likely than men to seek hormone therapy. However, men can benefit from this kind of therapy just as much as women. We all experience hormonal imbalances as we age because we can no longer produce sufficient quantities of sex hormones. At Bentley Skincare & Wellness & Wellness in Springfield, MO, we offer hormone replacement to help clients restore their sense of well-being and restore balance to their hormone levels.
What Are the Signs You Need Hormone Replacement?
You may need hormone replacement therapy if you are noticing unwanted changes in your mood, mind, or body. Hormones are absolutely essential for a wide range of bodily functions, including maintaining homeostasis and regulating your mood. Here’s a closer look at whether you may need hormone therapy.
You Have Andropause
Andropause, sometimes referred to as male menopause, is an extremely common condition that usually occurs when men are approximately 40 years old. It can be easy to overlook because the condition develops at a slower rate than menopause but it can be diagnosed with a blood, urine, or saliva test.
If you have andropause, your testosterone levels will be low due to very high levels of SHBG. SHBG reduces the bioavailability of the testosterone in your bloodstream. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most common symptoms of andropause.
Hair Loss
One of the most common symptoms of andropause is hair loss. Adolescent males usually experience an explosion of body and facial hair growth due to a rapid deluge of testosterone flooding their bloodstream. As men age and start to reduce their production rate of testosterone significantly, the loss of both facial and body hair can occur.
Unintended Fat Gain
Men also commonly experience fat gain as they lose so much bioavailable testosterone that they develop andropause. Testosterone is important for fat metabolism, and when your serum testosterone levels drop, your fat metabolism also drops.
Sexual Dysfunction
Yet another sign men are in need of hormone replacement is sexual dysfunction. Testosterone is absolutely crucial for proper sexual function, including libido, achieving a full erection, and maintaining a full erection. If you aren’t as interested in sex as you used to be and it is affecting your relationship, schedule an appointment right away to have your serum testosterone levels tested.
Poor Mood Regulation
You also may suffer from hormonal imbalance if your ability to regulate your mood decreases. For example, you may find yourself far more stressed than you used to be. This stress may lead to anxiety and cause you to become extremely irritable. You also may develop depression, feeling disinterested in activities you used to enjoy, lethargy, and difficulty concentrating.
Brain Fog
Brain fog is another sign of hormonal imbalance that is often overlooked. You may think your brain fog is the result of fatigue or stress. However, it can be a sign of low testosterone levels.
You may have difficulty concentrating. You also may notice other signs of cognitive decline, such as difficulty remembering important dates or trouble learning new information. Cognitive decline isn’t an inevitability of life that you have to learn to live with. In some cases, it can be caused by low testosterone and reversed by increasing your serum testosterone levels.
You Have Premenopause
Menopause is the time in a woman’s life that occurs when she has not had a menstrual cycle in 12 months. However, women experience the symptoms of hormonal imbalance before menopause occurs. If you still have menstrual cycles, but you feel like you are no longer yourself, you may be premenopausal. Here are some of the most common signs of premenopause.
Unintended Fat Gain
One of the most common premenopausal symptoms is unintended fat gain. As women age, they start to produce estrogen at a significantly lower rate. Unfortunately, one of the roles estrogen plays is increasing fat metabolism. Therefore, as serum estrogen levels decrease, fat metabolism decreases. As a result, women often gain fat as they age.
There are other factors working against a woman wanting to maintain her weight. For example, mood regulation capabilities decrease, often resulting in emotional eating. Also, insomnia and other sleep problems occur. Difficulty sleeping can result in chronic fatigue and cause intense cravings for foods that are high in fat and sugar.
Lean Mass Loss
Antoher reason women tend to gain weight as they age is that they lose lean mass due to hormonal imbalance. Since lean muscle mass burns 2.5 times more calories than white fat when you are at rest, it is easy to see how losing a lot of muscle mass results in significant weight gain over time.
Even worse, estrogen plays an important role in appetite regulation. Even though your metabolism decreases with age, you may find yourself eating more than you used to because you feel hungrier.
Bone Density Loss
Both men and women experience a lot of common symptoms of hormone imbalance, including unwanted weight gain. Another symptom they may have in common is bone density loss. However, women are four times more likely than men to develop this condition. Specifically, women are at an extremely high risk of developing osteoporosis.
Poor Skin Health
You also may need to restore balance to your sex hormone levels if you notice the health and appearance of your skin changing negatively. For instance, you may notice tone or texture issues.
Vaginal Dysfunction
You also may have imbalanced hormone levels if you are suffering from vaginal dysfunction. Some women only experience a reduced libido as their estrogen levels decrease and menopause rapidly approaches. However, other women also experience vaginal dysfunction. For example, women who are almost menopausal experience vaginal dryness which leads to pain during sex.
Reduced Fertility
A sign you need to restore balance to your hormone levels quickly is your OB/GYN has identified fertility problems. Usually, women reach menopause when they are in their 40s or 50s. However, some women develop menopause when they are in their 30s. Unfortunately, this is when many women finally feel ready to start a family or want to expand their existing family.
If you have fertility issues, they may be caused by an insufficient amount of estrogen in your body. Pellet implantation can help you restore balance to your sex hormone levels so you can have a child if you want to.
What Can I Expect During the Hormone Replacement Process?
An Initial Consultation
The first step in restoring balance to your sex hormone levels is to come in for an initial consultation. During this initial consultation, we will discuss your symptoms and wellness goals. Based on this information, we may test your hormone levels to determine definitively whether you are suffering from a hormonal imbalance and could benefit from hormone therapy.
A Follow-Up Consultation
Once we have determined which hormones are insufficient and how great the insufficiency is, we can tailor a treatment plan to restore balance to your hormone levels and restore your quality of life.
Biodentical Pellet Therapy
Once we know the hormones you need and the dosage, we will schedule an appointment for you to come in and have the pellets implanted. These pellets are completely biodegradable so you won’t need to come in for a follow-up appointment to have them removed. Instead, they deliver a steady dose of hormones for three to six months until they are absorbed by your body completely.
Another Follow-Up
Several months after your first pellet implantation appointment, you will need to come in for a follow-up appointment. At this time, we will discuss the improvements you have noticed and test your hormone levels again. This is to ensure your dosage is correct. Testing hormone levels regularly is important because your body will continue to produce sex hormones at a slowing rate for the rest of your life.
How Quickly Can I Expect To See My Results?
In some cases, relief from hormone imbalance symptoms can be felt within one to three days of implanting the pellets. However, your lifestyle and the severity of your symptoms will affect how quickly your results become apparent. In the case of severe symptoms, it may be a week or two before you experience symptom relief.
Regain Your Sense of Well-Being Today
If you no longer feel like yourself, imbalanced hormone levels may be to blame. Luckily, hormone replacement can help. To find out for sure whether your hormone levels are imbalanced, contact us today at Bentley Skincare & Wellness & Wellness in Springfield, MO to schedule your initial consultation. We look forward to helping you restore your sense of well-being.