Women want a shiny head of hair, not whiskers!
Facial hair can be the bane of women as they grow older—right around the same time, sadly, when their “crowning glory” starts to become thinner and grayer. One recent study shows that 10% of menopausal women complain of facial “fuzz,” but unwanted hair can start sprouting as early as perimenopause.
Women who are younger with facial hair, in their 20s and 30s, may have another—more serious—concern, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), especially if they’re overweight, experience menstrual irregularities, and/or acne. While the direct cause of PCOS is unknown, a new study in Environmental Health Perspectives links neonatal exposure to the endocrine/estrogenic disrupter bisphenol A (BPA)—found in plastic bottles, the lining of food cans, and dental sealants—with hormonal disruption in rats that mimics PCOS in humans.
The most common hormonal disorder among women of reproductive age, PCOS can cause infertility and lead to long-term complications like cardiovascular disease, inflammation, and stroke, insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, male-pattern baldness, ovarian cysts, and (according to recent research at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine) even endometrial cancer.
Dr. Ann Louise’s Take:
One cause of thinning hair and/or excess facial hair in women of all ages—including those with PCOS—is a condition known as estrogen dominance. This hormonal imbalance is also associated with abnormal blood sugar levels, fat gain, and low adrenal function.
Simply put, estrogen dominance occurs when there is more estrogen than progesterone in the system. Estrogen-like chemicals in the environment, emotional factors, stress, menstrual changes, and even lack of dietary fiber, which binds to excess estrogen to help move it out of the body, can all lead to this kind of hormone havoc.
Need Progesterone?
Sometimes, a severe lack of natural progesterone—which is the flip side of estrogen dominance—is the primary culprit. Starting in the teens and 20s, a skipped period (indicating the failure to ovulate, which is somewhat similar to what happens when women begin going through the “change”) can cause the adrenal cortex to secrete the steroid androstenedione—instead of progesterone. An alternate chemical precursor to the production of other hormones, this steroid hormone is associated with some male characteristics, one of which is male-pattern baldness.
According to my friend and colleague, the late John R. Lee, MD, the body normally produces 20 mg of natural progesterone during a menstrual cycle. Besides its role as a precursor to other important hormones, natural progesterone helps balance blood sugar, combat fuzzy thinking and irritability, prevent water retention and fat gain, and even boost your libido.
When you raise your progesterone levels with a bio-identical progesterone cream, which is absorbed transdermally in the fatty layer beneath the skin, your adronstenedione levels will gradually decline. Facial hair will start to diminish, while the hair on your head will begin to grow back normally.
For older women who are no longer menstruating, progesterone deficiency can also result in excessive facial hair. But do beware of synthetic progesterone (progestin), which won’t work the way natural or bio-identical progesterone does. Your body has difficulty breaking down this synthetic form, used in birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy, so this altered form creates a potential for toxic effects. In fact, after progestin was added to HRT, women’s cancer risk increased!
Regardless of age, practically every woman who takes a Salivary Hormone Test has been found to be extremely progesterone deficit. To help restore natural hormonal balance, I typically recommend applying about ¼ teaspoon or 1 pump (20 mgs) of ProgestaKey, an all-natural progesterone cream, to different areas of the body each day. This helps to avoid saturating the receptors beneath the skin in any one part of the body.
Apply to soft skin, rich in capillaries, on the most suitable areas like your neck, upper chest, breasts, inner arms, abdomen, backs of your hands, and even your face. Not only does ProgestaKey help encourage hair growth in the right place, but it will also burn body fat as fuel and act as a natural diuretic to help control weight.
I formulated this bio-identical hormone cream for my personal use when I was going through perimenopause—but it’s effective for younger women as well. Menstruating, perimenopausal, and menopenopausal women will find the specific protocol for application right on the label.
PCOS
I’m not at all surprised that researchers are linking PCOS with other endocrine disrupters in today’s increasingly “chemical world.” Environmental sources of hormones include parabens in cosmetics, pesticides, plasticizers, and the estrogen-laden feed given to livestock to fatten them up. The trouble is today’s factory-farmed food fattens us humans up as well!
In addition to organic and grass-fed meats, a low-carb diet has been found effective for both PCOS and women going through the “change.” A University of Alabama at Birmingham study shows that low-carb diets significantly improve insulin and cholesterol levels in women clinically diagnosed with PCOS—without affecting circulating levels of their reproductive hormones.
Based on my own clinical experience, I’ve recommended cutting out sugar and the reactive and processed carbs in grains for decades. Exercise helps normalize insulin and balance hormone levels, too!
I have been happily surprised to discover that several women with PCOS have found success with the Smoothie Shakedown. It consists of 2 smoothies (made with low-glycemic fruit, a vegetarian-friendly protein powder, omega-3 oil, and optional fiber) for breakfast and lunch, frequent snacks, and a wholesome, balanced dinner with lean protein, salad, and veggies. In our in-house Smoothie Shakedown study, most women lost between 5 and 20 pounds in 2 weeks.
Just to give you an idea, Alicia from Seattle, Washington, put on 60 pounds in just 6 months when she was in her 20s. After her doctor diagnosed PCOS, she was understandably discouraged. She didn’t give up, though. Instead, Alicia read The Fat Flush Plan, got good advice on the Fat Flush Forum, and then tried the Smoothie Shakedown. Her efforts eventually led to a 120-pound drop in weight. Now wearing pants that are 8 sizes smaller, she says, “This is a way to restore your health, not just lose weight.”
Sources:
Fat Flush for Life
The Fat Flush Plan
Before the Change
The Living Beauty Detox Program
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20361673
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20528321
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18064932
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16690220
www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Low-carb-diet-may-help-women-with-ovary-problems
www.womenshealth.gov/faq/polycystic-ovary-syndrome.cfm
i have got to say this. i am seriously sick of you making estrogen out to be such a villian. i am 39 years old and my ovaries failed at 29. i have been on the estrogen patch for 10 years and thank God for it. without my estrogen, i not only have hot flashes, (that is a given), i have severe muscle cramps in my legs, migraines, and when my estrogen got really low, i was hospitalized with angina at 32. my cardiologist encouraged me to keep my estrogen at an acceptable level. my mother, who had breast cancer and a mastectomy 7 years ago, has been back on estrogen for 2 years and is doing fine with the blessing of her gynecologist and other doctors. yes, sometimes we need progesterone. i have benefited greatly from it over the past 10 years, but stop trying to make women believe estrogen is some evil entity. it is not. God would not have given it to us if it was. it has a purpose in our bodies.
How rude. She’s not talking about women who have ovarian failure – she’s talking about typical women, in our environment and with the food we eat we ingest too many xenoestrogens as well as mess up our system by taking the Pill and other synthetic hormones. Almost all women need progesterone at some point in their lives. I know it’s been a godsend for me – and YES she is right too much estrogen is a huge life disruptor.
For me, estrogen is the villian. It gives me pretty much all you mentioned. Heart issues, severe lung problems and makes me retain water, puff up, stop digesting food and getting severe migraines. Seeing black things and silver sparkles everywhere… heavy legs, can’t do any physical activity…I know we need to keep it balanced… But most medical people just want to sell drugs it seems, especially in the area of women’s health. Hrt killed my friend’s mother at 50…
All the estrogen prescribed until 2017 is synthetic and the body can’t in any way recognise it or use it the way we need it to be. It’s super easy to get an overload when you use estrogen that way.
Even plant estrogens react the wrong way. We aren’t plants. My medical people prescribed stuff to me so many times that would have been lethal if I’d taken them. I do my own research, thank God.
After breast cancer we are specifically warned to never ever use estrogen… Because progesterone also takes away the symptoms without as much risk.
Wow… obviously you didnt do your research… if you did then you would know about the bad phytoestrogens and how harmful high good estrogen is
I have had PCOS for years, but have not been able to find very much info out about it, about what it actually is, and the possible causes of it, or long term effects of it. And there seems to be very little info about how to treat it as well. I have been on Spirinolactone and natural Progesterone drops for years to try to help it, but I’m not sure if either one is helping. Any additional info you can provide to us about PCOS will be greatly appreciated. Also, can you recommend a book or something that has some current natural health info about PCOS please?
Thanks for all your great info Ann Louise!
You need to start by taking a sex hormone panel 7 days after ovulation – then you will know exactly in what state your hormones are in. It’s best to consult a physician with experience in bio-identical hormone therapy.
Naturally we need estrogen too. It’s only when it is imbalanced or especially high that it creates problems. That’s why we can benefit from knowing our own individual hormone levels. I found that doing a Salivary Hormone Test really helped me take the right hormones. I am post menopausal and needed progesterone and estriol.
Is ‘bio identical’ & progestaKey vegetarian friendly? If so, could we eat the plant material fresh?
Thanks, Ann Louise! I have personally experienced the trauma of a lifetime of estrogen dominance. At 29, I felt like I was going through menopause or pregnancy, but the doctor said I wasn’t experiencing either, that I seemed healthy, and I was, “just getting older.” I wanted to slug him! Progesterone cream practically saved my life! Getting off of gluten though, has been the thing that caused all my biochemistry to balance out and quit sending me into tailspins. Thanks to The Fat Flush Plan for helping me to find my gluten sensitivity! At 41, I finally feel like I’m beginning to be in control of my body, instead of it controlling me.
Allie- estrogen and estrogen-dominance are not the same thing, and it is the latter the Dr. Ann Louise is referring to in her blog . She would be the first to acknowledge that ALL hormones need to be present at certain levels in the body for it to function in a healthy state. Many ladies (and men) are finding that too little progesterone to estrogen are causing some legitimate health problems for them. Would you deprive these people of help just because they have too much of what you need?
Anjali- The ProgestaKey is a skin creme that is safe for use by vegetarians. These are no effective herbal sources for progesterone.
Joel- you aren’t making much sense. if you read my earlier post, i say that i have benefited greatly from natural progesterone. BUT- i hardly EVER hear Dr. Gittleman talk about the benefits of enough estrogen. it generally is vilified in the media. unless you have been without it, you don’t know how much you NEED it. i would not try to keep ANY hormone away from any person who needed it. i don’t know why you even said that. strange.
I am very interested in this product. I have had breast cancer (mastectomy) eleven years ago. I am 71 years old and am very concerned about taking ANY hormones. I have never been on anything but now I think that this product might benefit me as I am showing the usual aging problems that Anne mentioned. Would it be safe to take this product. As you can understand, I am skeptical of any hormone treatment. Thank you for your response.
Allie, I think that there is a misunderstanding on your part on what the article is about. Dr. Ann is not vilifying estrogen. She is addressing a condition known as estrogen dominance. This condition is where you have too much of a good thing. In this case estrogen. I have this condition and while you may need more estrogen, there are people like me who need less because we have too much and it is causing us just as many problems by having too much as it causes you to have too little. It might do you well to reread the article with a fresh look to see that Dr. Ann is in no way vilifying estrogen as much as trying to help those of us who have too much. I hope this helps.
Peace and Love,
Misty =)
Misty- i KNOW that this particular article is on estrogen dominance and i know what estrogen dominance is. you are talking to a woman who has been on EVERY FORM, EVERY COMBINATION of hormones there are for the past 10 years. but if you read everything the Dr. posts, there is never anything- not one thing said about the benefits of estrogen. oh, she’s quick to tell you about the benefits of progesterone though. do you see what i mean? yet, many OTHER doctors, including Dr. Vliet, Dr. Reiss, and Dr. Northrup just to name a few, are more balanced. they inform you of BOTH hormones benefits. does Dr. Anne sell progesterone cream on her site, or link to a site that does? ok, now- does she sell estriol cream- or link to a sight that does? OK then. sometimes women have TOO MUCH progesterone and not enough estrogen and can mess up their chemical and hormonal balance by taking progesterone. i just wish she would get OFF the progesterone bandwagon or at least encourage women to get a COMPLETE HORMONE PROFILE.
I’m still hoping that you could please provide additional info to us about PCOS. It would be greatly appreciated. Also, can you please recommend a book or something that has some current up-to-date natural health info about PCOS please?
Thanks again.
Amber- any book by Dr. Elizabeth Vliet would help you. i would recommend ‘The Savvy Woman’s Guide To PCOS’, or ‘It’s My Ovaries, Stupid’. i also struggled with PCOS for several years. what helped me was a low glycemic diet. i hardly eat any bread, especially white. i eat alot of vegetables and lean protein. also GLA in the form of borage oil or evening primrose oil helped me. 🙂
I wholeheartedly recommend the book Eight Weeks to Vibrant Health by Hyla Cass, M.D. which covers PCOS. Hormones, blood sugar abnormalities, and adrenal stress seem to be at the root of this disorder and so the proper testing and supplementation are basic keys to this disorder – all of which are based upon the individual’s unique results.
I am 52 and tried progesterone cream a couple of years ago. I immediately gained weight after starting the cream. I was told by an alternative health practitioner that the reason I gained weight using the cream was that my body was having trouble metabolizing the fat used in the cream. I quit using it and the weight came back off. I believe I need to be using the progesterone to combat estrogen dominance, but don’t want the weight gain – I have enough weight trouble without adding to it :). Anyone else have that problem with progesterone cream?
I’ve been using the ProgestaKey for several years now and never had a problem gaining weight. Usually the progesterone does help with the estrogen balance and you can lose weight. I’d suggest trying Progestakey because it is very pure and does not have any hard to metabolize fats.
Hi found this article after researching chin hair and hormone imbalance.
Im 40yrs old and for the last 4 months have stopped taking the pill ‘cilest’ in order to try to concieve.
Since then ive been keeping track on my cycle, temperatures and ovulation in order to balance my hormones and cycle post pill.
Before i started taking the pill my periods were irregular sometimes 7 weeks long, and i had pmt and anxiety. Post pill im gradually re-balancing even though my luteal phase is still quite short.
In order to try to lengthen my luteal phase and upon researching all of this female health with regards to minimising my pmt and maximising my fertility i take vitamin suplements daily including a pre-natal, zinc, extra B6 aswell as angus castor.
I feel excellent because of it, and my cycles are more regular than theyve ever been, and my luteal phase has lengthened ive not had any pmt and my skin is improved (i used to get hormaonal acne). All related to estrogen/ progesterone!
My point is. The main thing ive noticed is the hair on my chin has gone! For the last 2 yrs on the pill ive had unwanted facial hair, i thought it was my age, but since coming off the pill and taking suplements one side effect ive seen is no facial hair, hense why im researching estrogen/ progesterone dominance. I would like an explanation of why the pill caused my chin hair, or if its the suplements im taking that has got rid of it…
Hi Dee! Thank you for sharing your wonderful story. It is difficult to say what exactly caused this shift for you without having done testing before and after the pill, during a neutral time, and again after implementing those new supplements. Given your list of supplements though, it could be hypothesized that the greatest difference would be due to discontinuing use of the pill.
How long did it take on the cream to notice results in facial hair?
3-6 months is the average time for changes in HRT to take effect.
I m 66, have breast cancer, won t use chemo, radio or tamoxifen and the likes. Have face hair and don t need to lose weight.
Could this progesterone help with the hair without making me lose weight?
In some instances, supplementing with Progesterone can help bring down elevated Testosterone levels, which can often cause facial hair growth. In light of your other health challenges, it would be wise to have a Salivary Hormone Test before experimenting with HRT, to make sure that the appropriate therapy is being applied. Best wishes.
Dee, Vitex Agnus Castus or Chaste tree is a herb known for promoting hormonal balance by stimulating the pituitary to promote the production of progesterone by the body.
I have found that the number one contributor to excess estrogen in the body is laundry soap and milk products! Dr. Peter Eckhart has an E-book on Amazon for sale that details all the many products in our world that create excess estrogen in our bodies. He says to use tri-sodium phosphate (TSP) or Arm N Hammer Washing Soda inplace of laundry soap to remove the chemicals being absorbed through the skin. Also, there are research articles out there that state that estrogen binds to fat in milk and if you want to remove it, you need to drink non-fat dairy products only. These two steps alone will help drastically reduce the estrogen load in the body overall. Hope this helps somebody else in need. God bless
Dear Rachael: Thanks for posting. Commercial laundry detergents and dairy products are no doubt some of the potential sources of xenoestrogens in the environment but you can’t discount plastics, pesticides, and parabens – which can imapact the system as well. Vigilance on all fronts is key here as well as maintaining a well-functioning liver that can break down hormones into non-toxic metabolites.
The ProgestaKey product is suggested because it bypasses the liver and is absorbed transdermally to ward off estrogen dominance safely and effectively.
All dairy products – whether organically raised or not – contain the “natural” hormones produced by the cows, so is probably not a good dietary choice in general although the no to low fat varieties are not as readily bound to estrogen.
I really have to increase my estrogen in the body. It´s critically low, and have been that for many years (2011 – now). I´m now 26 and suddently hair growth have occured all over my body and face. I`m also underweight, and have struggled to gain weight for many years, but because of a whole bunch of allergies, intoleranses and irritabel bowel syndrom, my body acts like and idiot and dosen´t put on extra kiloes. I`m afraid. But anyways, this new hair problem I just can´t live with. Do you have any suggestion for what I can take? I did try estrogen patches (estradot), but that´s when all this hair growth startet on my stomach (where I had the patches). I read the unormal hair growth can occure when using this kind of medicine the doctors prescribe. It got more and more hair, and then my whole body and face. Can progesterone cream help, or anything else?
My testesteron is normal. And my other hormons are normal, so I really just want to increase the estrogen, and not testesteron (this has to be as low as possible). Any ideas how to make testesteron low?
I`m happy if you have time to answer me on email..Or here if you prefer. I would be greatful.
Go easy on sugar….excess sugar converts to testosterone
Can the cream be applied to the chin or temples of the forehead where hair problems are obvious.?
Annie, you can apply the ProgestaKey in those areas if you wish.
Can progesterone cream be applied directly to scalp to correct hair loss? I was given an antibiotic that triggered a sudden violent autoimmune reaction that caused among other things, dramatic hair loss. If I can apply progesterone cream to my scalp, how much do I use ? I am currently using Progesta-Care cream for the rheumatoid arthritis in my hand (also caused by the autoimmune reaction) and it has been a miracle. I am a long time fan of Dr Lee and I have used progesterone cream successfully for other problems.
Valerie, ProgestaKey, with 20 gm of progesterone in each pump can be applied to the scalp if you wish. If low progesterone is the reason you are losing hair, it will help you.