Beauty Chip: the contraceptive slims, defines and increases libido –

If a fairy godmother received the wish list of most women, it would include: getting rid of PMS, losing weight, defining muscles, getting rid of cellulite, boosting libido. But who needs magic when you have the technology? Everything we want seems to be inside a small silicone stick that has conquered many fit girls.

The implant is, in fact, a contraceptive placed under the skin of the buttock to gradually release gestrinone, a hormone derived from progesterone and with an androgenic effect. “It maintains the level of testosterone in the blood, which favors the increase of muscles in those who train regularly”, explains gastroenterologist Fernando Guanabara, who works in Fortaleza, São Paulo and Miami (in the United States).

Today, the implant with gestrinone is prescribed as a contraceptive quite safely. But, in 2015, when Anvisa released a higher concentration of the hormone, it began to draw attention for new “side effects”, such as eliminating fluid retention.

Read more: Can my menstrual cycle influence my training?

This and other benefits made the method famous and won over those who have already used it, such as pediatrician Isa Xavier, 29, from Fortaleza. “I had already lost 12 kilos with a diet and, even working out, I could not gain lean mass. With the implant, my physical performance improved and my body became more defined, ”she says.

Insertion is done under local anesthesia, in a few minutes in the office. If it hurts, just apply ice. In some patients, the cut may leave a small scar, but there is no need to stop physical activities.

Calm down!

Exciting, yes, but you can’t decide right away. After the implant, comes the adaptation phase: 90 days in which adjustments may be necessary to circumvent undesirable reactions, such as increased skin oiliness or even hoarseness. In general, the doctor starts with a low dose. And if it’s not enough, you need to increase it by adding one or more tubes under the skin. As the effect lasts up to a year, after that period you must repeat the procedure. But not everyone wants to continue with the baton.

In the blog Me and Gestrinone, the 31-year-old author, who remains anonymous, recognized the relief of PMS, the reduction of menstrual bleeding and greater muscle definition. But even so, she gained 4 kilos, noticed a change in her voice, gained many pimples and did not see any improvement in her cellulite. In fact, responses vary greatly among users.

But the controversy goes further: the Brazilian Society of Endocrinology and Metabology does not approve the use of gestrinone or any other hormone for people who do not have a deficiency of these substances and says that this leads to complications such as hair loss, hair growth and clitoris and, if the doses are too high, even heart attacks, strokes and some types of cancer.

For all these reasons, the Federal Council of Medicine also prohibits the use of hormones for aesthetic reasons – physicians who do so are subject to warnings or penalties that include the suspension of their professional registration.

Read more: Can you work out while menstruating? Clear 6 myths about your cycle

But why this distrust?

Unlike the traditional etonogestrel contraceptive implant, which is produced by a multinational pharmaceutical company in a standardized manner, the gestrinone implant is produced on a small scale by a single laboratory. To define the amount of hormone, doctors request tests, evaluate the complaints and consider the body mass index and the level of physical activity. In general, one tube is recommended for every 10 to 15 kilos of weight. And it is precisely the lack of studies indicating the minimum and maximum doses of gestrinone that bothers the critics the most.

“The gestrinone implant has not gone through controlled studies to prove its long-term safety and its adverse effects”, points out endocrinologist Mariana Farage, collaborator of the State Institute of Diabetes and Endocrinology of Rio de Janeiro. “In the absence of these jobs, people function as guinea pigs,” she says.

Gestrinone, when associated with other hormones, may present even more reserves. “As these implants are manipulated, it is not known what is actually there”, emphasizes endocrinologist Pedro Assed, from the Obesity and Eating Disorders Study Group (Gout), in Rio de Janeiro. “Some physicians inadvertently replace testosterone with the aim of gaining muscle,” he warns.

Other than that, Pedro Assed has already followed up on cases in which the implant disappeared from the user’s body and was not located by radiography. Where the lost chip ended up and what complications it might bring are open points.

Read more: 5 situations that make your period late

Gestrinone

Duration: 1 year.
Placement location: Gluteus.
Effects on menstruation: After six months of use, most users stop bleeding.
Undesirable effects: Increased oiliness of the skin and hair, hair loss, deepening of the voice.
Contraindications: History of thrombosis, hair loss, breast cancer being treated, suspected pregnancy.
Cost: From BRL 5 thousand to BRL 7 thousand.

etonogestrel

Duration: 3 years.
Placement location: Arm.
Effects on menstruation: After six months of use, 20% stop menstruating, 20% have irregular/eventual bleeding, 60% have less flow.
Undesirable effects: Acne, breast pain, headache, mood swings, fluid retention.
Contraindications: Severe liver disease, vaginal bleeding of unknown origin, hormone-dependent cancer, suspected pregnancy.
Cost: From R$1500 to R$3 thousand.

So, can you or can’t you use it?

It depends. The gestrinone implant is released and continues to be prescribed for acting as a very effective contraceptive (it prevents ovulation and makes the cervical mucus hostile to sperm) and combating gynecological disorders resulting from hormonal variations.

“It suspends menstruation completely if the woman wants it, ends PMS, eliminates cramps, prevents and treats endometriosis and reduces the appearance of fibroids [tumores benignos do útero]”, lists the gynecologist Malcolm Montgomery, from São Paulo, who has been prescribing the implant for this purpose for over 20 years. If there is a consensus among doctors, it is that there are no miracle solutions or short-term results.

Aesthetic gains should be a possible bonus when the treatment is indicated correctly. “I would not say that gestrinone makes you lose weight, but it can help to deflate and reduce the compulsion for sweets, which has a positive impact on weight”, explains Malcolm. But without proper diet, regular physical exercise and a disciplined life, it is difficult to achieve a well-shaped body. Even resorting to hormones.

Stay on top of everything that goes on in the fitness world with the newsletter