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
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20361673
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20528321
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18064932
https://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
