leads to fewer wrinkles
Long-term hormone therapy used earlier in menopause is associated with fewer wrinkles and less skin rigidity in postmenopausal women, School of Medicine researchers reported in the August issue of Fertility and Sterility.
"These benefits were seen in women who had consistently used hormone therapy and had been in menopause for at least five years," says Dr. Hugh S. Taylor, associate professor in the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences.
"We don't believe hormone therapy will make wrinkles melt away once they're already there, but the results of our study show that hormone therapy can prevent them. Hormone therapy makes wrinkles less severe and keeps skin more elastic," Taylor adds.
Taylor and his co-authors compared 11 women who had not used hormone therapy to nine long-term hormone therapy users. Demographics including age, race, sun exposure, sunscreen use, tobacco use and skin type were similar. The researchers made visual assessments of wrinkle severity at 11 facial locations. A plastic surgeon with no knowledge of which women were using hormone therapy rated the number and severity of wrinkles using a Lemperle scale. The team also measured skin elasticity using a durometer.
They found that rigidity was significantly decreased in hormone therapy users compared to nonusers at both the cheek (1.1 vs. 2.7) and forehead (20 vs. 29). Average wrinkle scores were lower in hormone users than in non-hormone users (1.5 vs. 2.2) on the Lemperle scale.
Taylor says that what is happening in the skin may be reflective of the functioning of other organs such as the heart and bone, which may also be benefiting from estrogen therapy. The results suggest that hormone therapy keeps the skin looking younger and healthier and may have cosmetic benefits if started early. Hormones seem to keep the skin healthy, but can't reverse present skin damage.
Taylor and his team plan to replicate the findings in a larger follow up randomized prospective study.
Co-authors include Dr. Erin F. Wolff and Dr. Deepak Narayan.
-- By Karen Peart
T H I S
W E E K ' SS T O R I E S
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Yale leaders contribute $70,000 to match employee and student donations
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Brenzel named undergraduate admissions dean
Studies explore function and formation of feathers
Chinese president's visit postponed
ENDOWED PROFESSORSHIPS
Richard L. Cohn: Battell Professor of the Theory of Music
Lawrence Manley: William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of English
Robert S. Nelson: Robert Lehman Professor of the History of Art
Susan C. Stokes: John S. Saden Professor of Political ScienceNBA star to discuss his humanitarian efforts in the Congo
Director Sofia Coppola to give Chubb Lecture
Labor-management training aims to foster cooperation
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MEDICAL SCHOOL NEWS
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Medical school offering clinical trial of new treatment . . .'Days of Caring'
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Symposium to examine history of U.S. reach into the Pacific
Scientist Pan invited to participate in NAE symposium
Electrical engineer T.P. Ma is honored for solid-state research
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'A Taste of Bulgaria' to aid flood victims in another corner of the world
Urban infra-power and urban charisma to be explored in conference
Search committee named for School of Art dean
Biophysical chemist Julian Sturtevant . . .
Memorial service scheduled for . . . Robert Abelson
Alumni magazine now reaches every Yale graduate in the U.S.
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