Hormone Replacement Therapy in Columbia and Timonium, MD

Hormone levels change with age, stress, illness and life stage. For women, the shift often begins in perimenopause and continues through menopause. For men, testosterone can decline gradually from the 30s and 40s.

Common signs include:

• Hot flashes and night sweats
• Poor sleep
• Persistent fatigue
• Mood changes, anxiety or irritability
• Brain fog or trouble concentrating
• Low libido or vaginal dryness
• Weight gain around the middle
• Loss of muscle or strength

These symptoms have many possible causes, including thyroid problems, sleep disorders and stress. That is why we test first. Symptoms alone do not tell us whether hormone therapy is right for you.

Bioidentical hormones are structurally identical to the hormones your body makes. We dose them to your labs and symptoms, not to an average, and we recheck as your body responds.

Care follows the same path for every patient:

1. An honest consultation. We review your results line by line, in person or by video. We recommend therapy only when it fits.
2. Labs first. Comprehensive blood work shows where your hormones stand and then we discuss any therapy.
3. A plan built for you. Your options, doses and timing are explained in plain language.
4. Follow-up. Repeat labs and check-ins confirm your levels and your symptoms, and the plan changes as you do.

This fits our broader approach, The Longevity Loop™: diagnose, correct, optimize. Hormone care can sit alongside peptide therapy, IV therapy or medical weight loss as part of one plan.

Hormone therapy can help many women and men. It is not right for everyone. We take a careful history before recommending it.

People with a history of hormone-sensitive cancers, blood clots, stroke, heart disease or serious liver disease, and anyone who is pregnant, need a careful evaluation first, and therapy may not be appropriate. We would rather tell you that after your labs than start something that does not suit you.

As with any treatment, hormone therapy has risks. Possible effects include:

• Bruising, soreness or, rarely, infection or pellet extrusion at the insertion site
• Fluid retention, breast tenderness or spotting in women
• Acne or extra facial hair in women on testosterone
• Mood changes while doses are adjusted
• A rise in red blood cell count in men on testosterone, which is why we monitor labs

We monitor your labs, adjust your dose and check in on how you feel throughout treatment.

1. Consultation. You meet with Michelle Beccio, FNP-BC, in person or by video to review your symptoms, health history and goals. Bring a list of your medications and any recent lab work.
2. Blood work. Your hormone panel is drawn at the clinic or at a lab near you.
3. Results review. About one to two weeks later, we go over your results together and decide whether therapy makes sense.
4. Treatment. If therapy is right for you, we start your plan, which may be pellets or another option. A pellet visit takes about half an hour.
5. Follow-up labs. We recheck your labs about 6 to 12 weeks after you start, then at each refill, usually every three to five months.
6. Before treatment, for women. We may ask for a recent mammogram and Pap test.

Beleza Clinic is led by Michelle Beccio, FNP-BC, owner and founder, a board-certified family nurse practitioner who focuses on longevity and hormone optimization. Read her full story on the about page.

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