Unfortunately for many women, hrt and cellulite are two intertwined experiences. HRT, or hormone replacement therapy, involves taking a number of hormones, usually estrogen and progesterone, and perhaps small amounts of testosterone, to help combat the unpleasant effects associated with the menopause.
The exact type of hormones, the rate at which they are taken, and the amounts, is individually prescribed based on what is going on in each woman’s body at the time of peri-menopause.
For example, estrogen can be taken alone, or with progesterone. The two can be alternated, or they can both be taken together. The type of HRT you are using may determine whether you are more likely to experience the effects of more cellulite when you take HRT. Because estrogen is “lipogenic”, an increase in the levels of estrogen can lead to weight gain and cellulite. (Lipogenic refers to the process by which excess carbohydrates are converted into fat and stored in the body)
The Link Between HRT And Cellulite
Researchers have yet to find a definitive cause for cellulite. However, for an explanation on the relationship between cellulite, skin structure, and fat, click here. Basically, the structure of women’s skin is such that fat cells push through from a deeper layer into a more superficial sub-layer of the skin. This is normal, and nothing to worry about, except insofar as understanding how cellulite occurs!
Having a sense of that, it is easy to see that if you have more fat stored in your body, cellulite is going to be more pronounced. And the fact that estrogen is lipogenic goes a long way to explaining why many women get more cellulite when they are faced with major hormonal events – such as pregnancy, menopause, and going on the pill.
Hrt and cellulite may not have to be so interlinked, however. Progesterone is a hormone that counteracts the effects of estrogen. As such, it can help prevent weight gain, and perhaps provide assistance to women concerned with hrt and cellulite, who want (or need) to take hormone therapy.
Progesterone
- helps the thyroid work better
- balances out the worst side effects of estrogen
- improves mood
- prevents the over production of insulin (which is involved in fat creation and storage)
Too much estrogen
- can cause fluid retention
- damaging to blood vessels (can cause migraine headaches)
- causes morning sickness
- elevates levels of homocysteine, which makes blood vessels sticky, leading to the creation of clots and plaques
- implicated in 6 different cancers
It would appear that treating estrogen dominance – whether a natural estrogen dominance or one created by HRT – by balancing out estrogen with progesterone, or not taking estrogen at all, can help with weight gain, with a secondary effect on cellulite.
There are many facets of the topic of estrogen, which is why its best to talk the matter over with an informed doctor. Keep in mind that there are three different types of estrogen – the strongest is estradiol, next strongest is estrone, and the weakest is estriol. Estradiol is the type of estrogen most associate with symptoms of estrogen dominance in women taking hormone replacement therapy. Also, the negative effects of estradiol are somewhat mitigated by using patches or a cream – that is, taking it via the skin.
Ultimately, some women do need to take hormone replacement therapy of some sort, and may need to take estrogen, irrespective of its’ impact on cellulite and weight gain. There are bio identical hormones, and doctors with a good knowledge of the impact these and other hormones have on a woman’s body and psyche. I mention this because there are still ‘old fashioned’ doctors out there who may not be up on all the latest research and developments in the field of women’s hormones.
A great book, one which I used to help rite this article, is The Miracle Of Bio Identical Hormones by Michael E Platt M.D.
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