Yes, without a doubt. Much younger!
E slows down ageing and keeps us young. This has been shown in studies. Facial hair removal also helps, I think. The reason, I think, ciswomen age faster and look older is because of their fluctuations and times of low E AND how their hormones already start to decline significantly after 30-40 yrs old. We have a constant flux of hormones and many of us continue taking hormones the remainder of our lives.
Volume 64, Number 1
OBSTETRICAL AND GYNECOLOGICAL SURVEY
"Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) studies, in postmenopausal women, demonstrate that it is declining estrogen levels, as opposed to other aspects of aging, that are associated with undesirable skin changes that accompany aging (9)."
"Effects of estrogens on skin
Increased skin thickness (4)
Decreased collagen breakdown (84)
Increased collagen production (85)
Increased production of collagen fibers (86)
Increased epidermal hyperpigmentation (81)
Decreased sebum (87)
Skin function Increased water-binding capacity (88)
Increased fluid retention (89)
Decreased cellular-immune response (55)
Increased vasodilation (48)
Increased elasticity (90)
Improved wound healing (91)"
"Declines in estrogen in menopause are clearly associated with the thinning of the skin observed as women age. The direct effects of estrogen with regard to skin thickness are confirmed by the observation that estrogen replacement in menopause is consistently associated with a thickening of the skin. HRT has achieved increases in skin thickness of up to 15% (20)."
"The age-associated decline in estrogen is accompanied by drier skin as the water-holding capacity is reduced (20)."
"Improvements in water retention are a result of an increase in acid mucopolysaccharides and hyaluronic acid in the dermis (29)."
"Estrogen replacement therapy has been demonstrated to improve skin hydration (4), and decrease the risk of postmenopausal dry skin (20). Elevated endogenous estrogen levels during pregnancy also improve the hydroscopic properties of the dermis (4)."
"most subjects exhibited the driest skin during the menstrual flow, when circulating estrogen levels are at their lowest (2)."
"Estrogen in replacement therapy both prevents collagen loss and stimulates increases in collagen production. A large number of studies have demonstrated an increase, with HRT, of skin thickness associated with higher skin collagen content. Increases in skin collagen as high as 5.1% have been demonstrated with exogenous estrogen through HRT, with increases in dermal collagen as high as 6.5% (20)."
"At the menopause, a rapid decrease in skin elasticity begins (4,14), and this can be slowed or reversed with estrogen replacement therapy (4). Prevention of elasticity loss has also been reported with the use of HRT (14)."
"The consequences of estrogen deficit after menopause include increased wrinkling."
"Estrogen cream produced significant improvement in wrinkles in clinical evaluation (4,20)"
Arch Dermatol. 2008 Sep;144(9):1129-40
"Two-week topical estradiol treatment stimulates collagen production in sun-protected hip skin, but not in photoaged forearm or face skin, in postmenopausal women and aged-matched men. These findings suggest that menopause-associated estrogen decline is involved in reduced collagen production in sun-protected skin. Interestingly, alterations induced by long-term sun exposure hinder the ability of topical 2-week estradiol to stimulate collagen production in aged skin."
Climacteric. 2007 Aug;10(4):289-97.
"Estrogens have a profound influence on skin. The relative hypoestrogenism that accompanies menopause exacerbates the deleterious effects of both intrinsic and environmental aging. Estrogens prevent skin aging. They increase skin thickness and improve skin moisture. Beneficial effects of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on skin aging have been well documented"
Ann Endocrinol (Paris). 2006 Dec;67(6):575-80.
"Estrogen treatment in post menopausal women has been shown to increase collagen content, dermal thickness and elasticity. Biophysical properties are also significantly improved for the parameters reflecting hydration and sebum secretion."
Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2007 Feb;130(2):202-5.
"Our data suggested that topical estrogen associated to systemic estrogen therapy seems to increase the expression of skin collagen amount, which may prove to be beneficial for the postmenopausal facial skin."
Maturitas. 1999 Dec 15;33(3):239-47.
"Our data suggest that the decrease of skin collagen is an estrogen-related phenomenon."
Exp Dermatol. 2004;13 Suppl 4:36-40.
"The skin is a target organ for various hormones, and sex steroids have a profound influence on the aging process. A decrease in sex steroids thus induces a reduction of those skin functions that are under hormonal control. Keratinocytes, Langerhans' cells, melanocytes, sebaceous glands, collagen content and the synthesis of hyaluronic acid, for example, are under hormonal influence. Topical application of estrogens has a positive effect on skin aging parameters, whilst numerous studies have also shown the positive influence of systemic hormone replacement therapy on skin aging."
Br Med J (Clin Res Ed). 1983 Nov 5;287(6402):1337-8.
"The implication of this finding is that oestrogen or testosterone, or both, prevents the decrease in skin collagen content that occurs with aging and protects skin in the same way as it protects bone in postmenopausal women."
Some have noticed the addition of bio-identical progesterone to further improve skin tone and make them look even younger. Progesterone increases sebum production.
