January 7, 2021

Finding A New Skincare Routine After Gender Transition

by 26Health Staff

At the Beautiful You MediSpa, we address trans-specific skincare in several ways. For instance, there are methods for managing the effects of hormone treatments after a gender transition. There are also techniques for dealing with scarring that occurs after gender-affirming surgeries. In this post, we’ll focus on skincare related to hormone treatment.

Hormones and Skincare

Hormones can be tough on your skin. You may quickly discover how essential it is to adopt a skincare routine tailor-made for you. Trans women and trans men often seek out products that bring balance to their skin, diminishing, or even eliminating disconcerting skin problems that impact confidence.

Trans Men and Skincare

A trans man taking testosterone will often develop acne. Clinical studies have shown that acne can affect a person’s quality of life, self-esteem, and mood in an adverse manner. If you once had smooth, healthy skin and suddenly you’re dealing with an eruption of breakouts, it can even impact your productivity. Many of us with acne call in sick and miss workdays as a result. This is also confirmed in studies: In the US, the cost of acne in terms of treatment and loss of productivity is over 3 billion dollars per year.

The good news? New approaches to treatment have been developed for your skincare routine and even more are on the horizon. Due to antibiotic resistance, prescription antibiotics are being abandoned in favor of multipronged solutions. This includes retinoids, antibacterial washes, lasers, pulsed-light therapies, photodynamic therapy, and systemic isotretinoin.

Scientists now understand that addressing all four pathogenic mechanisms involved in the appearance of acne lesions is key to treatment success. Coming soon, topical anti-androgens, coenzyme-A carboxylase inhibitors, and insulin growth factor-1inhibitors, all of which control sebum production, should be available.

Trans Women and Skincare

A trans woman who is taking estrogen may notice dry, itchy skin. Other side effects of hormone therapy include hirsutism (growth of dark, coarse hair associated with PCOS), pseudofolliculitis barbae (infected ingrown hairs), and melasma (brown to gray-brown patches on the cheeks, chin, nose bridge, forehead, or upper lip).

Gender dysmorphia can have profound implications for your confidence. Post-gender transition skin problems can be a source of even greater sensitivity than it might be for someone else. Nobody likes breakouts, and studies show an undeniable connection between skin diseases and disorders and anxiety and depression. The comorbidity of gender dysphoria exacerbates the effects of skin problems – and when using Beautiful You Spa Skincare Services we are keenly aware of your feelings about these conditions as well as our role in helping you find freedom.