About BHRT with Dr. Shumway | San Diego, CA
At certain turning points in your life, you will experience hormone fluctuations (puberty, young adulthood, adulthood, perimenopause, menopause and andropause). As a natural, normal shift in your hormones happen, you may feel a little more sensitive to the rise and fall of these chemical messengers. Have you felt like you have had a recent shift in your hormone levels? This may be why you have not felt like yourself recently or suspect something is “off” in your body that you can’t put your finger on the cause. At Shumway Cosmetic Surgery, we understand that on some days, you may wake up feeling tired, depressed, or edgy. Dr. Robert A. Shumway would like you to consider having your hormone levels analyzed at his practice in San Diego, CA. Not only is he a cosmetic surgeon with special skills in skin rejuvenation, but Dr. Shumway is also highly trained in bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) because he believes that you should not only “look as young as you feel but feel as young as you look.”
Dr. Shumway does his best to help each patient customize a treatment for their unbalanced hormones, presenting symptoms, and illnesses that arise because of unstable hormones in the body. He can also take a proactive approach to your health when hormones rise and fall to avoid unpleasant symptoms. BHRT can optimize hormone levels for more vitality, energy, and a better quality of life. Contact us to learn more.
Meet Dr. Shumway
San Diego board-certified facial plastic and cosmetic surgeon Dr. Robert A. Shumway is the Medical Director of Shumway Cosmetic Surgery. With over 20 years of experience, he offers advanced face, breast, body, and skin procedures tailored to each patient’s goals. He is especially known for his expertise in transumbilical breast augmentation (TUBA), a scar-free implant technique performed through the navel, and was the first to bring it to Europe in 2018.
Common Hormones
- DHEA Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a hormone manufactured by your adrenal glands and your brain, then leads the way to the production of testosterone and estrogen. Most people’s DHEA levels begin to decline after age 30. Pharmaceutical-grade DHEA supplements have been shown to help with obesity, depression, adrenal insufficiency, Alzheimer’s disease, Crohn’s disease, and lupus. Some physicians have prescribed DHEA to treat sexual dysfunction in men and women and improve symptoms associated with osteoporosis.
- Estrogen Did you know that men need estrogen, too? Estrogen is one of several hormones that women possess in abundance; however, men need it, too. Low estrogen can cause excess belly fat and a decrease in sex drive for men. Men with high levels of estrogen may experience infertility and female characteristics. Low estrogen levels in women can cause hot flashes, problematic sleeping, weakened or no sexual desire, mood swings, osteoporosis, and dry skin. High levels of estrogen in women can result in weight gain, uterine fibroids, loss of sex drive, and feelings of depression or anxiety.
- Melatonin When you are healthy and get enough sleep, the hormone melatonin is produced in a rhythmic cycle: more at night and less during the day. The bloodstream carries it to different parts of the body, where receptors pick up the sleep signal. Overall, melatonin levels decline throughout your life, and low levels can make it difficult to sleep. Supplementing with melatonin can get you a better night’s rest.
- Progesterone Women with low levels of progesterone have abnormal menstrual cycles and may have trouble conceiving. Women with low progesterone (who do conceive) are at a higher risk for miscarriage or pre-term delivery. What’s more, low progesterone levels can cause estrogen levels to skyrocket, which can decrease sex drive, result in loss of sleep, contribute to weight gain, or cause gallbladder problems.
- Testosterone Testosterone is generally considered a male hormone, but it is important for women as well. A low testosterone level in women can affect the libido and muscle strength. Too much testosterone for women may cause irregular periods, body hair, high blood pressure, infertility, and weight gain. Low testosterone levels in men are linked to low energy, depression, low libido, erectile dysfunction, obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
- Thyroid Your thyroid hormone plays a much larger role in your health than you may realize as it is a regulator of your metabolism. When you don’t have enough thyroid hormone (hypothyroid), you may feel tired or cold, have a very sluggish metabolism, have constipation, and inexplicable weight gain. An overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism) can leave you feeling nervous, irritable, unable to properly focus, have trouble sleeping, and encounter an unwanted weight loss.
Schedule a Consultation
Ready to take the next step? Schedule your personal consultation with Dr. Shumway today and discover the best options to achieve your aesthetic goals.