Estrogen = Makes You Look Older?

[MelissaPaige]

Hi, I've been on estrogen for close to two weeks, and I've noticed some skin changes. Namely, the skin feels softer and less tight in some areas. I'll assume that's from losing some muscle and gaining a bit of fat, but my concern is my face. I smiled in the mirror today, and I have WAY more smile wrinkles than I did 2 weeks ago. It actually makes me look about 5 years older. NOT cool!

So my question is does estrogen make you look older? Is what I'm experiencing a temporary effect, and the facial skin/fat will eventually tighten up in adjusting? For reference, I'm 31 and am often thought of as being around 23-26 if someone were guess my age. Not now...sadly...

Thank you,
Melissa

[JohnH]

I am almost 62 years of age, and I have been on M2F HRT for over two years. People who estimate my age will say I am in my lower 50's of age. You have been on estrogen for an extremely short time of time.

Johanna

[Angela Campbell]

Two weeks is a pretty short time to see much in the way of physical changes.

[stefan37]

Not really, My skin texture became softer in 3 weeks. Enough that my wife would make comments about and was actually a little freaked out. It was probably around that time she realized that hormones were going to change me in other ways than growing breasts and impotence.

[Angela Campbell]

Could it be that you are more interested in this now and notice things you didn't before? Maybe smiling more.

But it does take a lot of time to lose muscle mass and have fat redistribution.

[Ann Louise]

I suspect you're going to look softer, smoother, and more lovely as time goes by. Keep in mind, though, that the softer and more translucent facial skin you will gain will reveal your irksome facial hair follicles and any other imperfections such as small blood vessels, etc. This hastened my resolve to get on with laser, electro, and ultimately, the best FFS I could afford. Akso, don't forget your age, regardless of your E. Many GGs nearly 10 years younger than many of us look ten years older due to the natural, gradual loss of collagen in upper lip, cheeks and eyes, etc. Alas, that's age honey. You're on the right track IMHO by thinking about it now. Doing nothing but adding foundation will not likely serve for long. Best to you sweetheart, Ann

[noeleena]

Hi,

This is rather interesting im over 66 have lovely softer skin with in reason of my age, my weight is the same now as it was 40 odd years ago, my own hormones have done more for me than other added meds drug's or synthic meds, why well some of that is due to my background olive skin, not a muscle bound like some males i know ,

more as a normal female shape and body size, the hormones im on are really just maintance for my body as i lack enough to make my own, yet knowing how my body works most meds dont get used my body discharges them so works a little differently, what i am on has been over 10 years, any way that's me, hardly any lines on my face,

now does E make you look older,

now i cant answer that yet , ask in 20 years time ill answer your ? then. because then ill know, hang on make that 14 years, then ill be 80 ill have a better idear then,. he he.......

...noeleena...

[Frances]

It shaved off 10 years for me and made most of my wrinkles disappear. I made my skin peel a lot, like I was recovering from a sunburn, over the course of the first year. Like others have said, two weeks is insignificant. Did you change glasses or the lighting? I have met lots of trans people and what I have seen, estrogen makes people look younger and testosterone ages people in a hurry. Trans men my age look so much older after a few years on T, it's not even funny.

[I Am Paula]

The first noticeable change from HRT is in our self perception. I'll bet you look in the mirror a lot more now, looking for changes.
10 months HRT, and almost everybody tells me I look younger. I don't see it, or maybe it's just happiness showing thru'.

[LeaP]

Your skin may be softening and thinning just enough to notice within the first few weeks. Over time, you will get some additional fat deposits and fat redistribution in your face that will change it slightly and fill it out. To the extent you experience the softening and thinning earlier than the fat changes – and that is the usual case – you may notice a little bit of sagging and wrinkling. My wife thought I looked gaunt for quite a period of time. The comment I get most often now, and I got it from my therapist last week as well as directly from a member here last night, was that my face has rounded out. The net effect is to make me look a bit younger, as Frances indicated. I am 58. Most people guess mid-to-late 40s.

[MelissaPaige]

Thank you, everyone. I do personally have a lot of changes so far...my response to HRT seems to be very fast compared to the norm that I've read.

I don't think I am imagining it or have a self-perception change (I have a highly detail-oriented career and am pretty self-aware); however, the feedback makes me feel better. It may just be weird in an awkward transition phase...

[jackielou]

i have been on E for a long time and no one thinks i look my actual age also i do have a nice set of DDD/G breast

[Deedee Heels]

From the experience - my friend looks younger than before..

[kerrianna]

It made me look (and act haha) way younger.
I'm not sure why... like someone said, maybe the happiness and joy of soul shining through?

I dunno. It's funny. When I started HRT I was hyper about looking for changes but after awhile I just got used to things and stopped thinking about it much.

I guess we're all different and our bodies react differently.

[kimdl93]

I looked up estrogen effects on skin on PubMed and found a couple articles on studies that demonstrated positive effects for topical estrogen ...a significant increase in the thickness of skin on both men and women and a reduction in wrinkles. These were small, but controlled studies, so the results seem pretty compelling.

[DebbieL]

Two weeks isn't very long. Most of the long-term effects of estrogen kick in over months. I was on low dose estrogen and spiro for almost a year, it took about 9 months for my breasts to get big enough where I HAD to wear a bra. I also use retinol on my eyes. Even so, I have become visibly "younger" looking over the months. My physical health has been better than it has been for a very long time. My doctor took me my heart and blood pressure medication, because my vitals are better without it. My bloodwork is more like that of a 20 year old.