During your reproductive years, varying estrogen and progesterone levels in your bloodstream control the monthly buildup and sloughing of uterine lining tissue. These hormones, however, have many other extrauterine effects. Your breasts, skin, genitals, kidneys and bones are among the many tissues and organs affected by the hormones estrogen and progesterone.
Stimulating Breast Growth
Estrogen stimulates the growth of breast tissue. Your breast development started during puberty when your ovaries began producing estrogen. During your childbearing years, estrogen and progesterone stimulate the cyclic growth of the milk ducts and glands in your breasts. Low levels of estrogen and progesterone after menopause cause shrinkage of your milk-producing breast tissue, leading to loss of breast fullness. After menopause, your breasts typically decrease in size and may sag due to loss of tissue volume.
Maintaining Skin Collagen Content
Collagen is a substance in your skin that imparts elasticity and gives your skin a smooth appearance. Estrogen production by your ovaries helps maintain the collagen content of your skin. As your estrogen levels progressively decline during perimenopause and after menopause, your skin begins to change. With less estrogen in your bloodstream, your skin loses collagen, which leads to thinning, wrinkling and loss of elasticity. Progesterone also affects your skin composition. In an August 2005 study published in the "British Journal of Dermatology," Dr. Gregor Holzer and colleagues report that topical progesterone cream increases skin firmness and elasticity among perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.
Maintain Genital Tissues
Estrogen supports the maintenance of your vaginal and external genital tissues during your reproductive years. With the loss of estrogen that accompanies menopause, these tissue begin to thin, become dry and lose elasticity, a condition known as atrophy. Vaginal and labial dryness and atrophy after menopause can make sexual activity uncomfortable. Lubricants help alleviate this discomfort and estrogen creams may alleviate vaginal and labial atrophy.
Influence Body Water Balance
Estrogen and progesterone influence the amount and distribution of water in your body. Estrogen promotes increased water retention. During pregnancy, when estrogen levels rise to markedly high levels, the amount of water retained by your body significantly increases. A high level of progesterone counteracts the fluid-retaining effects of estrogen, acting as a mild diuretic to promote a decrease in total body water.
Prevention of Bone Loss
Estrogen helps prevent the natural bone loss that accompanies aging by keeping the rate of bone reabsorption and deposition in balance. As you approach menopause and your estrogen level declines, bone reabsorption begins to outpace bone deposition. After menopause, your estrogen levels remain low and your rate of bone loss accelerates dramatically. The low estrogen level associated with menopause causes a significant increase in your risk of developing osteoporosis, or poor bone density. With osteoporosis, your risk of fractures increases due to bone fragility.
References
- Ohio State University Medical Center: Normal Breast Development
- "Menopause International"; Skin Ageing; J. Calleja-Agius, M.D., et al.; June 2007
- "British Journal of Dermatology"; 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; Gregor Holzer, M.D., et al.; August 2005
- Brigham and Women's Hospital: Estrogen's Effects on the Female Body
- "Journal of Applied Physiology"; Effects of Estrogen and Progesterone Administration on Extracellular Fluid; Nina S. Stachenfeld, Ph.D., Hugh S. Taylor, M.D.; March 2004
- Cleveland Clinic: Menopause and Osteoporosis
