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[bev567901]

Hi All,
Has anyone experienced a reaction to the sun when on HRT patches? I sat outside on two very short sessions on Saturday & got burnt to a crisp. Total over reaction for my skin. I looked at the packet & it said not to have the patch in the sun as all the hormone will be released at once which is something useful to know. However, the patch was covered.
Needless to say no more sun sitting & when I had to work in the garden yesterday I was covered all over. I have always worn minimal clothing in the Summer if appropriate & in my own garden. It is like I have gone out for the day & sat on a beach with no sun cream on. My more tough areas like my hands are instantly brown like a weeks worth of sun very confusing??    Bev x

[Rowan]

Estrogen increases melanin in the skin.

Taking a betacarotene supplement during the summer can protect the skin

http://www.webmd.com/beauty/sun/20000302/beta-carotene-vitamin-e-help-prevent-sunburn

I never burn in the sun, always tan and always take beta-carotene supplement to protect my skin along with lots of Mediterranean  vegetable.

[peri]

Hi Bev

I sat in a beer garden for a couple of hours on Sunday & couldn't understand why I felt hot that night, my patch was covered as was most of my body except my arms.  Today they're a lovely golden brown, I'm fair skinned and don't usually tan this quickly.  It will be interesting to see what happens when I go abroad next month x

[Joyce]

I've been in Caribbean when using patches. I came home looking as pasty as ever. 

[bev567901]

Thinking about it I remember getting  very brown on my face when pregnant & I didn't spend much time in the sun then at all. Think they call it the mask of pregnancy as a common name. Peri is like pregnancy for me so I guess hormones may be doing strange things & it isn't the patches. Glad I read about the fact the sun makes the hormones come quickly out of the patch, don't want to do that on the latter patches I may have to prune my annoying neighbour. B x

[honeybun]

Where about have you got the patch. It should be below the waist and probably is covered with underwear and shorts or a skirt. Unless you have full sun on it and uncovered it really should not make any difference.



Honeyb
x

[Hurdity]

Hi bev

The fact that you burnt won't have anything to do with the patches - the sun is very strong at this time of year, and if you haven't had much sun exposure then your skin will burn, especially if it is fair. Also your skin gets thinner as you get further into pregnancy and so burning becomes more likely and you need to protect it if you have fair skin.

Regarding oestrogen and melanin production - in pregnancy the amount of oestrogen is extremely high for a long period of time. The levels while taking HRT will be nowhere near this! In fact if oestrogen does increase melanin production it should make you less likely to burn eventually - because the melanin produced ( over the next few days) will then protect your skin from further damage, to some extent.

I can imagine if you are sunbathing in a bikini or something, lying on your front, and the patch is on your bum cheek, then it will get warm/hot - and I can imagine this stimulating more of the hormone to be released. I do this sometimes in the summer when it's hot and when on holiday and never given it a thought - so the change in hormones has never affected me - well not that I am aware anyway! Even oif the hormones are released more quickly I doubt very much that the oestrogen produced over short periods would be sufficient to notice a great difference in your skin colour. Heavens - we'll all be out there with our patches on trying to get a better tan 

As long as you do as honeybun says - it is unlikely to make much difference, I would have thought.

Hurdity x

[bev567901]

Ha ha best hide the HRT in case my daughter uses it as a tanning aid!!  Well at least I don't have to prune the hedges in a flowing dress & hat ala Margo Ledbetter tomorrow then. It did make me think as you do see ladies of a certain age covered from head to toe on the hottest days & I started thinking back & considering is it the HRT, but they are probably being sun sensible. I think this year is the year of the ruched mid dress for me where you don't even need a bra, shorts & tops seem far too sticky now. I have bought a fan today having not had one since the kids where little. Windows & doors are wide open something I have never done due to flies etc but they fly out again! Even the roof windows are open first time since we have had them (ten years!) Bedroom windows open at night too, first time since the heat of 2003. I shall defeat the stag beetles etc single handed. B x