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 ?

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..

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.

Quote from: Sarah7 on May 06, 2011, 02:51:05 PM
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. 

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.

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.

Quote from: A on May 06, 2011, 01:38:30 PM
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.

Quote from: JungianZoe on May 06, 2011, 06:39:13 PM
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.

Quote from: Kristi on May 07, 2011, 09:06:38 AM
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.

Quote from: Alyssa M. on May 07, 2011, 12:17:44 AM
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.

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.

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.

Quote from: A on May 07, 2011, 12:20:33 PM
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. 

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.

 

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!)

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

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 .

Let's threadjack it's my life goal haha