Dr. Weeks’ Comment: Naturally occurring or bioidentical progesterone is highly beneficial, but the synthetic, patented, prescription, “knockoff” called medroxyprogesterone or progestin can be very dangerous. Synthetic, near miss progestins have been implicated in clotting disorders and other hormone imbalance problems.
“Along with their needed effects, progestins used in high doses sometimes cause some unwanted effects such as blood clots, heart attacks, and strokes, or problems of the liver and eyes. Although these effects are rare, some of them can be very serious and cause death. It is not clear if these problems are due to the progestin. They may be caused by the disease or condition for which progestins are being used.”
In contrast, naturally-occurring, bioidentical progesterone does wonderful things.
Please remember this, though, when your OBGYN or doctor use the term “synthetic progesterone”. There is NO SUCH THING as “synthetic progesterone”. There is real progesterone and there are synthetic, patented, knock-offs which are by definition NOT progesterone, (Great. I wanted to get that off my chest. Even in peer-reviewed scientific research articles, doctors who should know better, use the term “synthetic progesterone.”)
So, what is the big deal? I will tell you. Here is what is so beneficial about real, natural, bioidentical progesterone. The main three physiologic benefits are #1) lowering adrenaline, the stress hormone, which gives people a calming, anti-anxiety effect without being a sedative; #2) sensitizes insulin receptors so there’s enhanced ability to lose weight, no longer suffer sugar cravings, and have a more enhanced metabolism as you no longer suffer blood sugar swings and hypoglycemia; #3) balancing estrogen dominance, which is the cause of pre-menstrual cramps, breast tenderness, mood swings, headaches, acne and many other problems with premenstrual or perimenstrual symptoms.
Now let’s be clear: progesterone is not exclusively a female hormone. Men need progesterone too! Every cell in your body, be you a man or a woman, has progesterone receptors. One of the things progesterone does is protecting the brain and the entire nervous system. People suffering neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis or ALS benefit from bioidentical progesterone as it is an anti-inflammatory hormone and offers “neuroprotective effects with an additional influence on neuronal signaling, decreasing axonal damage and restoring myelin gene expression by oligodendrocytes, which protected against injury“. A specific method of protecting nerves is done by Schwann cells which are stimulated by progesterone to remylinate or “insulate” the axons of the nerve. Real progesterone is neuroprotective and should be used by anyone who wants to enhance or preserve memory and cognition. Progesterone builds bone (stimulates osteoplasts which create new bone tissue) which is a blessing to many aging men and women. What can progesterone do for you in spring when you get hay fever and are allergic to nature? Well progesterone is an anti-histamine (reduduces mast cell degranulation) so you can take less drugs and enjoy being out in nature. Progesterone is also a precursor to corticosteroids so again, less need to smear steroid creams or pop steroid tablets.
Is that all?
No! There is much more…
Real progesterone is a 5 alpha reductase inhibitor so it prevents the build up of the “bad” testosterone DHT (reduces facial hair in post menopausal women and help shrink prostate in men who need to get up frequently during the night). It also is an aromatase inhibitor which means it prevents testosterone degrading into estrogen. Women with risk of breast or uterine cancer would want to know that as would men concerned with prostate cancer. (Also guys – no more “man boobs”)…Win Win! What about all those environmental toxic estrogens “xenoestrogens” like the plastics and the growth enhancers in meat and poultry? Yes real progesterone helps protect you. And have you heard of glyphosate (Round Up™) which is costing Bayer (Monsanto) $1.56 billion in payout to harmed customers? Well, progesterone protects you against glyphosate.
About benefit #1 above: lowering adrenalin. There is a term for being stressed and on edge all the time: Adrenal Dominance (AD). What are the symptoms of AD? Well, hyperactivity like ADD, or ADHD, pain, syndromes, like fibromyalgia, sleep disorders, like restless, legs, bruxism (grinding of the teeth) bed wetting or general insomnia, as well as mood swings, like road, rage or depression, or bipolar, including addictions, and of course, truncal obesity, a form of weight gain.
But you turned to this post because you were interested in beauty, so let me tell you about the beauty benefits of real biochemical progesterone. As the following articles will attest, topical application of progesterone, will enhance your beauty as follows.
- Thicker and more luxurious hair,
- tighter and firmer skin,
- less acne vulgaris and less rosacea,
- and how would you like to behold that fabulous “glow of pregnancy” when you look in the mirror?
Yup.
Your’s for the asking!
(Women Click Here and….. Men Click Here)
RESEARCH ARTICLES
Re SKIN
Br J Dermatol. 2005 Sep;153(3):626-34. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.2005.06685.x.
Effects and side-effects of 2% progesterone cream on the skin of peri- and postmenopausal women: results from a double-blind, vehicle-controlled, randomized study
Abstract
Background: For many years topical progesterone has been prescribed by gynaecologists as an antiageing and skin-firming treatment, without any clinical scientific evidence of its effects, tolerability and safety when applied to skin.
Objectives: To evaluate the influence of 2% progesterone cream on function and texture of the skin in peri- and postmenopausal women.
Conclusions: The results of this study demonstrate that topical 2% progesterone acts primarily in increasing elasticity and firmness in the skin of peri- and postmenopausal women. These effects in combination with good tolerability make progesterone a possible treatment agent for slowing down the ageing process of female skin after onset of the menopause.
Re PORES
Progesterone stimulates the production of sebum or the oil glands in the skin. It can cause the skin to swell, and compress the look of pores.
Re ROSACEA
Acta Derm Venereol. 2019 Nov 1;99(12):1099-1104.
doi: 10.2340/00015555-3286.
A Cross-sectional Study of Rosacea and Risk Factors in Women with Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia
María Librada Porriño-Bustamante 1, María Antonia Fernández-Pugnaire, Salvador Arias-Santiago
Abstract
Frontal fibrosing alopecia has been related to some autoimmune diseases, but the association with rosacea is not clear. The objective of this study was to analyse the prevalence of rosacea in a group of patients with frontal fibrosing alopecia. A cross-sectional study, including 99 women with frontal fibrosing alopecia and 40 controls, was performed, in which clinical, dermoscopic and hormonal data were analysed. Women with frontal fibrosing alopecia presented a higher prevalence of rosacea than the controls did (61.6% vs. 30%, p = 0.001), especially those with severe grades of alopecia (77.8% in grade V vs. 33.3% in grade I, p = 0.02). Binary logistic multivariate analysis showed that perifollicular erythema (odds ratio (OR) 8.5; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.73-42.30), higher body mass index (OR 1.16; 95% CI 1.01-1.34) and lower progesterone levels (OR 0.15; 95% CI 0.028-0.89) were associated with a higher risk of rosacea in patients with frontal fibrosing alopecia. In conclusion, patients with frontal fibrosing alopecia presented a higher prevalence of rosacea than did controls. Perifollicular erythema, higher body mass index and lower progesterone levels were associated with a higher risk of rosacea in the group with frontal fibrosing alopecia.
Re ACNE
Drugs used in the hormonal treatment of acne fall into four major categories: 1) AR blockers, 2) oral contraceptives, suppressing androgen production by the ovaries, 3) glucocorticoids, suppressing adrenal androgen production, and 4) enzyme inhibitors (5α-reductase inhibitors; (Dr Weeks Comment: progesterone does all 4 of these skin benefiting actions!)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5015761/
Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2016; 9: 241–248.
Published online 2016 Sep 2. doi: 10.2147/CCID.S114830
Hormonal treatment of acne vulgaris: an update
Abstract
Acne vulgaris is a common skin condition associated with multiple factors. Although mostly presenting alone, it can likewise present with features of hyperandrogenism and hormonal discrepancies. Of note, hormonal therapies are indicated in severe, resistant-to-treatment cases and in those with monthly flare-ups and when standard therapeutic options are inappropriate. This article serves as an update to hormonal pathogenesis of acne, discusses the basics of endocrinal evaluation for patients with suspected hormonal acne, and provides an overview of the current hormonal treatment options in women.
Re Pregnancy Glow
Pregnancy glow is just one of the many changes you might experience during pregnancy. Other changes can include stronger nails, thicker hair, and reduced dry skin. There are many reasons these things happen, so it’s safe to say pregnancy glow isn’t a myth — though you shouldn’t be concerned if you don’t have it.
https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy-glow#gender
So what happens to your Progesterone levels during pregnancy?
Progesterone is measured in nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL). Below are ranges that are considered normal:
Menstruating
– 0.1 to 0.7 ng/mL in the follicular stage of the menstrual cycle
– 2 to 25 ng/mL in the luteal stage of the menstrual cycle
Pregnancy
- 10 to 44 ng/mL during the first trimester of pregnancy
- 19.5 to 82.5 ng/mL during the second trimester of pregnancy
- 65 to 290 ng/mL during the third trimester of pregnancy
Did you know that a healthy woman, enjoying a healthy pregnancy can have ~ 500-fold increase in progesterone compared to when she is simply menstruating in her follicular phase? (20x compared to her luteal phase).
Wow! Contemplating the benefits of progesterone working its magic during pregnancy makes me glow just thinking about it!