Testosterone used to fight ageing?
It is one of those incredibly unfair facts of life that men tend to naturally age better than women. If you ask Jane Fonda how she looks so good she’ll tell you it’s testosterone.
It’s almost half a century after a peach faced and thick haired Fonda danced around in leotards but she doesn’t seem to have aged a bit. The slim-figured and energetic 78-year-old admits that she still enjoys a healthy sex life and previously revealed that testosterone is what helped her age so well.
Fonda has taken the testosterone hormone since the age of 70 to increase her sex drive and she attributes a blend of “good sex”, genes and lifestyle to her youthful appearance.
Testosterone usually comes with the idea of masculine features, like beards, deep voices and muscles but it is actually integral to the production of oestrogen. Testosterone is produced by women as well and without it women can’t produce oestrogen.
Daily Mail reports the positive effects of testosterone, with some experts believing it can have a positive effect on ageing. They coin this the ‘Fonda effect’ as it can play a role in keeping your skin and body looking younger.
Dr Kathy Maupin, spoke to Daily Mail saying that testosterone loss is the start of “ageing cascade” which begins in women’s 40s and effects their physical appearance.
“Their breasts are no longer perky, their waistlines disappear, their muscles lose definition and their facial features start to sag … The reality is they simply cannot control their weight, waistline and figure without controlling their hormones,” she said.
The loss of half of their testosterone levels in their 40s is detrimental to muscle mass and skin, which is why Dr Maupin is a believer in using testosterone for anti-ageing.
“Increased energy, restorative sleep, loss of fat, less joint and muscular pain, physical stamina, sex drive and orgasms, relief from headaches, skin tone, defined muscles, balanced mood … the list goes on and on,” she said.
It is also reported that testosterone may help improve memory as you age. Susan Davis, professor of Women’s Health at Monash University, did a study on post-menopausal women and found that those using testosterone gel had a significant improvement in verbal learning and recall.
“Our data suggests it has an important role in cognitive function,” Davis said.
Dr Sonia Davison, endocrinologist at Jean Hailes for Women’s Health in Melbourne, also agrees it has a significant positive impact on ageing.
“Women who have hardly measurable levels of testosterone can experience lower libido and sexual function, lowered mood, reduced energy and motivation,” she said.
“When women use testosterone treatment, we believe it improves well being and mood, so sexual function may also then be better.”
Testosterone is most commonly used as a cream applied to the thigh.
Would you or have you used testosterone creams to fight ageing?
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