Skin and Hair Oil and Hormones

[A]

This is a pretty short topic, but I kind of needed to know, even though I am busy still.

From the "end" of my puberty (the quotes are because it's not quite done yet and the bad changes I still notice every month are depressing) to now, I have always had problems with my very oily hair and skin. It's getting from bad to worse : I wash every night - with the right cleaning products - and by the time I go to school the next morning, if rub a finger on my face and smell it, I get that bad sebum smell. My hair is also very oily, clingy and ugly every time I come back from school even though I wash it every night.

I do hope that HRT will reduce / eliminate this problem... Am I wrong ?

[Karynm8621]

I've never had very oily skin but my skin got a lot drier since hrt. I have to moisturize daily now or it feels awful.

My scalp got drier as well and I found I couldn't wash my hair everyday or it would cause my scalp to breakout from being too dry..

[Alyssa M.]

Yes, HRT will in the long run make your skin drier and less oily. There's a reason that moisturizers are marketed primarily at women. Your hair will likely be less oily for the same reasons. However, it won't necessarily make it any more manageable. I would suggest you find a good salon and use their products (i.e., Aveda and similar) if you can afford them. They can be expensive, but you shouldn't have to use much. I end up spending about $45 every three months or so, and my hair is *sooo* much nicer than ever before.

[Suzy]

I had fairly oily skin before starting HRT. You'll find it rapidly disappears and you'll start having the opposite problem - peeling skin and redness from it being too dry.

Yes.  This.

If you think needing moisturizers is a dream, just wait.  I also find that the skin on my arms is more prone to scrapes and bleeds easier. 

[JungianZoe]

How long did it take for oily skin to clear up for the rest of you?  I'm not on spiro (didn't work on my T levels) but I use depo as my anti-androgen and my T levels are now 9.  Not only has my oily skin problem not subsided, but I still have to wipe away my foundation/powder halfway through the day and reapply because even a thin layer turns to sludge after about four hours and my face is perpetually shiny and gross.

[Alyssa M.]

Zoe, It took a little while. Definitely months at least, as I recall. I only this winter, after two years on hrt, noticed my elbows getting scaly like they used to do when I was little (but never since). I think it has been one of the more gradual changes overall. But I might not be remembering that part very well. A noticeable decrease in the amount I sweat happened much more quickly, no more than a few months after I began. I found I don't have to use antiperspirant anymore (I just use deodorant). Perhaps the type of foundation you're using could be an issue.

[xxUltraModLadyxx]

This is a pretty short topic, but I kind of needed to know, even though I am busy still.

From the "end" of my puberty (the quotes are because it's not quite done yet and the bad changes I still notice every month are depressing) to now, I have always had problems with my very oily hair and skin. It's getting from bad to worse : I wash every night - with the right cleaning products - and by the time I go to school the next morning, if rub a finger on my face and smell it, I get that bad sebum smell. My hair is also very oily, clingy and ugly every time I come back from school even though I wash it every night.

I do hope that HRT will reduce / eliminate this problem... Am I wrong ?

it can, but i think it also depends on your genetics. my hair seems to have gotten better. i'm not sure if it has anything to do with me using a sleek hair shampoo that keeps moisture balance. i used to use clairfying shampoo every single day, which can actually do worse for your oil problem. i still get an oily tzone. oily nose and forehead. it really depends on your genetics, and not so much your sex. if you're washing your hair everyday with a clarifying shampoo, it will strip all the oils out of your hair, and naturally, your scalp and hair will work overtime to replace it. stick with a regular cleansing shampoo, or whatever suits your hair type. still, i am 19, and at my age, i make abundant amounts of oil.

[Suzy]

but I still have to wipe away my foundation/powder halfway through the day and reapply because even a thin layer turns to sludge after about four hours and my face is perpetually shiny and gross.

I do not know what you are using, but Cover Girl makes a line of makeup for oil control.  It seems to get good reviews.

[JungianZoe]

I do not know what you are using, but Cover Girl makes a line of makeup for oil control.  It seems to get good reviews.

That's exactly what I use... and I still turn into an oil slick after 4 hours.    I'm not exaggerating when I say that, if you were to take a finger and draw on my face, the foundation and powder would swirl around into whatever your mind can conjure.

A noticeable decrease in the amount I sweat happened much more quickly, no more than a few months after I began. I found I don't have to use antiperspirant anymore (I just use deodorant).

Oddly enough, I had the opposite happen.  Used to wear only deodorant before HRT, but had to switch to antiperspirant after.  Now even that doesn't work.  I'm not big (quite the opposite--I'm still underweight for my height) and am usually freezing to death if it's below 80 degrees.  But I still sweat like there's no tomorrow, even when I'm cold.

[kyril]

It depends a lot on your genetics. Going the other direction, I found being on T has dramatically reduced the oiliness of my skin and hair and cleared up most of my facial acne, although my back's gotten worse.

[A]

Thank you for the answers. I guess the consensus is "Wait and See".

JungianZoe: I have that too, sweating all the time, hot or cold. I notice it gets worse when I am tired, the air is very humid, I am very stressed or I haven't washed for 24 hours or more. They say such a status can be resolved by being more active physically. It may or may not help you.

[JungianZoe]

JungianZoe: I have that too, sweating all the time, hot or cold. I notice it gets worse when I am tired, the air is very humid, I am very stressed or I haven't washed for 24 hours or more. They say such a status can be resolved by being more active physically. It may or may not help you.

Thanks for the suggestion!   The timing is quite appropriate, as I was keenly aware of the pattern today (I need a better hobby).  It was along the lines of what you said: sweating while putting on makeup, no sweating while driving, sweating while sitting still, not sweating while walking around.  And there was a lot of stand-up-sit-down today.

As for driving, my steering wheel probably knows the drumbeat of 20,000+ songs by heart because I pounded them out until my poor steering wheel bled (no easy task).  Which is to say I'm not sure what moves more while I drive: me or the car. 

[BunnyBee]

HRT has definitely affected the oiliness of my skin.  I noticed a difference after about 2 months and it got drier and drier for about 8 months.

Hi Alyssa .


Edit: Here is a picture of pre-HRT me to show how it used to be, and a fairly recent one to show how it is now.  Obv lighting differences etc., but you can see the difference anyway.

 

[Double_Rainbow]

Now don't quote me on this!  But I heard eating two tablespoons of olive oil a day is good for balancing you hair and nails (among other health benefits as well).  I have a salad every day and use the olive oil for my dressing and what can I say, its worked wonders for me! (At least I'm assuming it has to do with olive oil!)

[Gabby]

Jen I can see what little male you had has melted.  I would say prehrt your jaw doesn't look as sharp as I thought it would, but when was a defined jaw a bad thing?  I'm looking forward to getting definition back in this chubby face

[BunnyBee]

Fortunate camera angle,  believe me.  My jaw was never strong, by any means, but it did use to be a lot more angular.  I don't want to hijack this thread and make it about jawlines though .

[Gabby]

Let's threadjack it's my life goal haha