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Hello, everyone.

I am Yoko Maeda, the supervising physician at BIANCA Aesthetic Medicine.

 

 

This time, we'll explain hormone replacement therapy. Hormone replacement therapy is a treatment method that supplements deficient hormones for purposes such as anti-aging care, menopausal symptoms, and disease treatment.

 

It has become the standard in anti-aging care overseas.

 

What are the methods of hormone replacement therapy?

 

There are various methods of hormone replacement therapy, but broadly speaking, they can be divided into two categories.

 

 

At BIANCA, we offer natural hormone replacement therapy. The key feature of natural hormone replacement therapy is its high safety profile. Many people worry about side effects when considering hormone replacement therapy. With natural hormone replacement therapy, side effects are significantly less likely to occur.

 

Which hormones are being supplemented?

 

There are several types of hormones. We perform a blood test beforehand and determine which hormones to supplement based on the test results to confirm suitability.

 

For example, menopausal symptoms in women are caused by a decrease in hormones like progesterone and estrogen secreted by the ovaries as a result of aging. These symptoms range from physical manifestations such as hot flashes, sweating, chills, dizziness, swelling, headaches, and fatigue, to mental symptoms including anxiety, insomnia, and depression.

 

There are various methods of hormone replacement therapy, but broadly speaking, they can be divided into two categories.

 

 

In some cases, both progesterone and estrogen are supplemented after testing, while in others, only one of the two is supplemented.

 

Male menopause has recently begun to gain attention as men experience a decline in testosterone, their primary male hormone. Physical symptoms may include overall fatigue and lethargy, decreased libido, erectile dysfunction (ED), insomnia, stiff shoulders, hair loss, and thinning hair. Mental symptoms can also manifest as a loss of energy, decreased concentration, irritability, and depression.

 

For men exhibiting these symptoms, testosterone and DHEA—which is upstream of testosterone—are often administered together.

 

In addition to sex hormones, insufficient levels of thyroid hormones produced in the neck can also make it difficult to feel energetic. When the deficiency is severe enough to be considered pathological, treatment is covered by insurance. However, even when the deficiency is not severe enough to be classified as a disease, appropriately supplementing thyroid hormones can lead to an improvement in quality of life (QOL).

 

Who is eligible for hormone replacement therapy?

 

You may also wonder, "When should hormone replacement therapy begin?" Simply put, hormone replacement therapy is for individuals experiencing symptoms due to hormone deficiency.

 

For example, women around menopause experience a gradual decline in female hormones, leading to so-called menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and mood swings. If you have these subjective symptoms, it's time for hormone replacement therapy. Of course, in addition to these symptoms, hormone replacement is administered only after proper testing confirms the hormone levels have indeed decreased.

 

Hormone replacement therapy can help alleviate menopausal symptoms. By the way, the time it takes for hormone replacement therapy to take effect varies from person to person, but it's generally about 2 weeks to 3 months.

 

Timing of Hormone Replacement Therapy

 

The recommended time to start hormone replacement therapy is when hormone levels begin to decline with age. Both male and female hormones gradually decrease with aging.

 

Individual differences exist, but the approximate ages are as follows:

 

 

 

For women, progesterone levels begin to decline around ages 35 to 40. The state where progesterone is low while estrogen remains sufficiently high is considered very taxing on the body. Supplementing progesterone at this time to reduce the disparity with estrogen can help prevent discomfort.

 

What is the purpose of hormone replacement therapy?

 

Hormone replacement therapy serves not only to alleviate symptoms associated with menopause, but also has the aspect of preventing future diseases.

 

For women, menopausal symptoms ease once menopause is complete. If the goal is to alleviate menopausal symptoms, hormone replacement therapy is generally not necessary afterward. One approach is to use hormone replacement therapy during menopausal symptoms and discontinue treatment once menopause ends.

 

However, once menopause ends and women reach their 60s and 70s, declining estrogen levels can weaken bone strength, increasing the risk of osteoporosis. Research also indicates that lower levels of female hormones may elevate the risk of dementia.

 

Therefore, we recommend continuing natural hormone replacement therapy even after menopause to prevent future illnesses. In fact, many people overseas use hormone replacement therapy specifically for disease prevention.

 

If you're in your 40s or older and experiencing physical changes or increased fatigue unlike anything you've felt before, it might be due to hormonal imbalance. Even if you're in your 20s or 30s, if you have strong premenstrual symptoms like PMS or PCOS-like symptoms, natural hormone replacement therapy could very well offer improvement.

 

Some theories suggest that aging accelerates due to declining hormone levels, making hormone replacement therapy an essential treatment for anti-aging care. Why not consider hormone replacement therapy to aim for rejuvenation from within?

 

If you're interested in anti-aging care from the inside out, please come in for a consultation.