Hey everyone,
I took for 2 months and a half and honestly it seemed to make my face more feminine. However, it appeared to give me acne by second month so I stopped taking and it cleared up. Now I am afraid my face could become less feminine/pretty! What's your experience? Is acne not correlated to P?
Thank you
P seems to be similar to testosterone as it can make you horny an hungry. Acne might be another side effect and it would also explain teen girls having problems with acne when they go through puberty. As for the ability to feminize your face, I haven't seen much posted on it but some mentioned the effect on breast so it may alter facial fat as well. I am not sure how much it's needed for development but if you wish to continue using it, discuss a lower dosage with your doctor.
Are you taking bio-identical micronized progesterone or medroxyprogesterone acetate?
Whether progesterone, which has no androgenic effect (confirmed by several studies), increases sebum activity (and thus acne) is subject to debate as some studies have found it does while others have either found the opposite or no effect at all. In my own case, it seems to make skin softer and less dry. It gives it a glow. Progesterone has been shown to improve skin elasticity and firmness and several women have anecdotally reported that it has made them look younger. In addition, one tends to get hungry on it, eat more and gain some weight so that the added subcutaneous fat can help one look more female, rounder, more curvaceous. Progesterone in high doses can also suppress testosterone production in pre-op women.
Medroxyprogesterone acetate is slightly androgenic so would be more likely, I think, to cause acne. It also reduces testosterone production when pre-op.
You need to discuss this with your doctor.
I got prescribed it at one point and the Dr. stressed it was more androgenic and might cause acne by increasing sebum. It didn't do that for me (T did though)
Some doctors don't differentiate between progesterone and other progestins that may be androgenic. I can provide those studies if you want. Let me know and I'll PM you. I believe educating our doctors is critical as they don't always have the time to browse through all the research that's been done in recent years. We can be an asset for them as much as they can be an asset for us. This is what I call a partnership. :)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16120154
An interesting study done about ten years ago showed that topical 2% progesterone cream had anti-aging effects, reducing wrinkle counts and depth and improving firmness and elasticity. While not feminizing per se, it at least demonstrates that progesterone, at least topically applied, does indeed have mild effects on the skin.