POST CARE GUIDE

Female HRT Pellet Aftercare

Estradiol and testosterone pellet therapy places small bioidentical pellets just under the skin of your upper hip, where they release hormones gradually over three to four months. The first week is really about one thing: protecting the insertion site so the pellets stay put while the small incision heals. Most women begin noticing better sleep, mood, energy, and libido within one to two weeks, with the fuller effect building over several. This guide walks you through insertion-site care, the five-to-seven day no-soak rule, the lower-body exercise limits, and the lab-and-symptom timeline that guides re-insertion. Your dose is set by Becca (MSN, FNP-C) or Angie (RN) from bloodwork drawn about four weeks in — never guesswork.

Download Post Care Guide (806) 701-5840

Your Female HRT Pellet recovery at a glance

What happens, and when

Here is the path from treatment day to final result.

First 24 Hours

Bandage dry

For the first 24 hours, keep the pressure bandage in place and completely dry. It shields the fresh insertion site on your upper hip while the small incision starts to seal. Skip your shower on day one, or keep the site clear of the spray. Once the outer wrap gets wet or you take that first shower, you can peel it off — but leave the steri-strip underneath alone. That thin strip holds the edges of the incision together and stays put for 5 to 7 days.

First 5 Days

No soaking, no glute work

For about five days, no baths, pools, hot tubs, lakes, or ocean — anything that soaks the site. Submerging the incision before it closes is the main route for bacteria and raises the odds of a pellet working loose. Skip lower-body strength work too: squats, lunges, cycling, heavy leg day, deep hip movement. Hard lower-body effort can shift a pellet toward the surface or bruise the area. Walking and light cardio are fine and actually help. Ease back to full workouts once tenderness settles.

1 to 2 Weeks

Symptoms shift

Most women start noticing changes in sleep, mood, energy, and libido within one to two weeks, and the fuller effect builds over several weeks as the pellets release estradiol and testosterone. Everyone's timeline differs — some feel it in days, others take a few weeks, and that's normal. Your dose is guided by labs drawn about four weeks in, not by the calendar. Re-insertion generally lands every three to four months, timed to your symptoms and bloodwork rather than a fixed date.

How to care for the insertion site

How to Care for the Insertion Site After Pellet Therapy

Taper prior regimen (3 days)

If you were on another form of hormone therapy — pills, creams, patches, or gels — keep taking it for three days after your first pellet insertion, then stop. Those three days bridge you into the pellet dosing while the pellets begin releasing, so you're not left with a gap. This applies to your initial insertion; at re-insertions you won't need to bridge. If you take other prescription medications, or aren't sure how something interacts, ask Becca or Angie at your visit so we can map it out with you.

Itching

A little itching as the skin heals is common. For that, Benadryl (diphenhydramine) 50 mg every six hours as needed can calm it — follow the package directions, and skip it if you'll be driving, since it causes drowsiness. Resist scratching the site itself: fingernails carry bacteria and can reopen the incision or disturb a pellet. If the itch comes with a spreading rash, hives, facial swelling, or trouble breathing, stop and seek care right away — that's an allergic reaction, not ordinary healing.

Tylenol for discomfort

For soreness, reach for acetaminophen (Tylenol) and follow the label dosing. Avoid NSAIDs — ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), aspirin, and naproxen (Aleve) — for the first 48 hours, because they thin the blood and can increase bruising and bleeding right at the insertion site. Acetaminophen doesn't have that effect, so it's the better choice early on. Most discomfort is mild and eases within a few days. If pain climbs instead of settling after the first two days, that's not typical — give us a call.

Pressure for bleeding

A little bleeding or spotting at the insertion site in the first day or two is normal. If it bleeds, press firmly and continuously over the site with clean gauze for five to ten full minutes — no peeking, since lifting to check restarts the clock. Stay seated or lying down while you hold pressure. Most bleeding stops well within that window. If it hasn't stopped after ten minutes of firm, uninterrupted pressure, or it soaks through repeatedly, call us at (806) 701-5840 so we can guide you.

Steri-Strip

Leave the steri-strip in place for five to seven days and let it fall off on its own. It's the layer holding your small incision closed, so resist peeling it early even if an edge starts to curl. It will loosen and drop off naturally as the skin underneath heals — that's your sign the site has sealed. If it's still firmly attached at day seven, it's fine to gently remove it after a shower, once the adhesive has softened. Never pull a strip that's still gripping the skin.

First Shower

After your first shower — anytime past the first 24 hours — you can remove the clear outer dressing once it's wet. Peel it off slowly and gently, and stop there: the steri-strip underneath stays. That thin strip is still doing the work of holding the incision together, so leave it in place even though the outer layer is gone. Pat the area dry afterward, don't rub, and skip lotions or powders on the site. From here, keep the spot clean and dry and let the steri-strip come off on its own.

Dressing

Your provider places a steri-strip directly over the insertion site, then covers it with a clear, water-resistant dressing on top. The steri-strip is the layer that matters — it holds the small incision closed while it heals. The clear dressing over it is there to keep everything dry through that first day. Leave both undisturbed at the start. Don't peel, adjust, or re-tape anything; if an edge lifts, leave it rather than pulling. The less you handle the dressing, the better the incision seals underneath.

Scrubbing

Don't scrub, scratch, or exfoliate the insertion site for a full seven days. The incision is tiny, but friction can reopen it, irritate the healing tissue, or nudge a pellet toward the surface before the area has sealed. In the shower, let mild soap and water rinse over the site and pat it dry — no washcloth, loofah, brush, or vigorous rubbing. Skip body scrubs and exfoliating products on that hip until the steri-strip is off and the skin has closed. Gentle handling for one week goes a long way.

Shower only — no submersion

Showering is fine after the first 24 hours, but keep it to showers only — no baths, pools, hot tubs, lakes, or ocean swimming until the site is fully healed, usually five to seven days. Let the water run past the area rather than aiming the spray at it. Submerging the incision while it's still open is the main way bacteria get in and the main reason a pellet works its way out early. If you swim or soak often, plan around this short window; protecting the site now protects the whole cycle.

Keep insertion site clean and dry

Keep the insertion site clean and completely dry for the first five to seven days. Water reaching the wound before it has closed is the single biggest risk here — it invites infection and can loosen a pellet before the tissue seals around it. Wash your hands before touching anything near the area, and don't apply lotions, creams, or ointments to the site during this window. Pat the surrounding skin dry gently rather than rubbing. When in doubt, less handling is better — let the dressing do its job.

Mild tenderness, bruising, and what is normal

What's Normal: Female HRT Pellet Downtime

Normal, temporary, and part of the process.

Early hormone shifts (first 2 weeks)

As your body adjusts to its new hormone levels, you may notice temporary mood swings or breast tenderness during the first couple of weeks. This is the system recalibrating, and it usually settles on its own within that window — give it a little time before judging how the dose feels. That said, don't tough out symptoms that are severe or that stick around. Significant or persistent mood changes, tenderness, or anything that worries you is worth a call so we can check in and adjust at your lab review.

Bruising

Some bruising or a little redness right around the insertion site is common and nothing to worry about. Bruising may spread or change color over several days as it clears — that's ordinary healing. To keep it minimal, avoid NSAIDs like ibuprofen, aspirin, and naproxen for the first 48 hours, since they thin the blood and can worsen bruising and bleeding at the site. Reach out if redness spreads outward past day two, feels warm, or comes with drainage — those point to infection, not a bruise.

Tenderness (up to 3 weeks)

Tenderness at the insertion site can linger up to two or three weeks while the tissue heals around the pellets, and it typically fades a bit each week. You may also feel small, firm bumps just under the skin — those are the pellets themselves, and that firmness is normal for the whole cycle until they dissolve. Acetaminophen helps if you need it. What isn't normal: pain that sharpens after the first 48 hours instead of easing. That can signal a problem and warrants a call.

Swelling (first 3 days)

Mild swelling around the insertion site is expected for the first one to three days as the tissue responds to the small incision, and it should ease a little each day. A cool compress placed over the bandage — never directly on the open site — for 10 to 15 minutes at a time can take the edge off. Keep the area dry while you do it. Swelling that grows after day two or three instead of shrinking, or that arrives with spreading redness or warmth, is worth a call to us.

What to avoid in the first 48 to 72 hours

What to Avoid After a Female HRT Pellet Insertion

Tight Waistbands & Pressure

Avoid tight waistbands, shapewear, or anything that compresses the insertion site for 7 days. Pressure increases the chance of pellet extrusion before the tissue has fully closed.

NSAIDs (48 hours)

Avoid NSAIDs (ibuprofen, aspirin, Aleve, Motrin, naproxen) for the first 48 hours. NSAIDs increase bleeding and bruising at the insertion site. Tylenol is fine.

Lower-Body Exercise

Avoid lower-body exercise for 4 to 7 days — squats, lunges, cycling, leg day, hip thrusts. Walking and light cardio are fine. Aggressive lower-body activity risks pellet extrusion before tissue closes around them.

Water Submersion

No baths, pools, hot tubs, lakes, or ocean swimming until fully healed (typically 5 to 7 days). Showering is fine after the first day with the dressing protected.

Disturbing the Steri-Strip

Keep the steri-strip in place and dry for 5 to 7 days. If it falls off on its own after day 5, that is fine. If it lifts earlier, leave the underlying wound alone.

When to Call The Spa After Your Pellet Insertion

Contact The Spa immediately if you experience:

Mild swelling, tenderness, bruising, and a small amount of bleeding at the insertion site are all normal for the first few days and should ease a little each day. Call us if anything below shows up instead:

Signs of infection — redness that spreads outward past day two, warmth, pus or cloudy drainage, a bad smell, fever, or red streaking running from the site.
Pellet extrusion — feeling, seeing, or finding a pellet that has worked its way to the surface or out of the incision.
Pain that worsens after the first 48 hours rather than steadily improving.
Bleeding that won't stop after ten minutes of firm, continuous pressure.
Significant whole-body symptoms — severe mood changes, racing heart, severe headache, chest pain, or shortness of breath.

During business hours, call us at (806) 701-5840. For severe symptoms — chest pain, trouble breathing, or signs of a fast-spreading infection — outside our hours, go to the nearest emergency room or call 911. When in doubt, it is always fine to reach out.

FAQ

Your questions, answered

We’ve answered some of the most common questions below to help make your experience simple, transparent, and stress-free.

Female bioidentical hormone replacement therapy addresses symptoms of hormone decline: fatigue, weight gain despite consistent effort, hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, low libido, brain fog, sleep disruption, loss of muscle and strength. Replenishes estradiol, progesterone, and/or testosterone to optimize levels based on your individual labs.

What does Female HRT treat?

Anytime you have hormone-related symptoms confirmed by lab work. Common windows: perimenopause (typically 40s), menopause and post-menopause (typically late 40s onward), post-hysterectomy/oophorectomy (any age), and for some women in their 30s with documented hormone imbalance affecting quality of life.

When should I consider Female HRT?

Primarily estradiol and testosterone, sometimes with progesterone depending on whether you have a uterus. All bioidentical—structurally identical to your body's natural hormones, derived from plant sources. We dose based on individual lab values and symptom response.

What hormones are used in Female HRT?

Pellet insertion every 4 months on average. Bioidentical hormone pellets are rice-sized hormone implants placed under the skin (usually hip area) during a quick in-office procedure. Pellets release consistent doses around the clock—no daily creams or pills to remember.

How is Female HRT administered?

We numb the insertion site with local anesthetic before placement. Slight pressure during placement. Soreness at the site for about 7 days. Avoid swimming, hot tubs, and strenuous exercise for 5–7 days.

Does pellet insertion hurt?

Energy and mood improvements often noticed within 2–4 weeks of pellet insertion. Sleep and libido improvements at 4–8 weeks. Body composition changes (with consistent training) over 3–6 months. Average re-insertion occurs every 4 months. Schedule blood work 4 weeks after your initial insertion and a lab review at 5 weeks.

When will I feel results from Female HRT?

When properly screened and monitored, yes. We screen for contraindications before starting (history of certain hormone-sensitive cancers, blood clot disorders, active cardiovascular disease). Lab work monitored regularly. Bioidentical hormones at physiologic doses have a strong safety profile in patients without contraindications.

Is Female HRT safe?

Female HRT starts with a $150 consultation. Pellet insertion and dosing are quoted after labs come back, since cost depends on hormones and dosing your individual labs call for. Members receive discounted pricing.

How much does Female HRT cost in Lubbock?

Properly dosed HRT usually helps with weight management by restoring metabolic function and energy for exercise. Overdosing or wrong hormone selection can cause weight changes. We monitor closely and adjust to avoid this.

Will HRT make me gain weight?

Yes—perimenopause is actually one of the best windows for HRT. Hormone fluctuations during perimenopause cause many of the most disruptive symptoms (mood swings, sleep issues, hot flashes). Bioidentical HRT can stabilize hormones and dramatically improve quality of life through this transition.

Can I do HRT if I'm in perimenopause?

Comprehensive hormone panel: total and free testosterone, estradiol, progesterone, SHBG, DHEA-S, cortisol, thyroid panel (TSH, free T3, free T4), and complete metabolic panel including lipids. We may add markers based on your symptoms.

What labs do I need before starting?

Book a wellness consultation. We'll review symptoms, order baseline labs, and design a treatment plan based on results. If you have recent labs from another provider, bring them. Call (806) 701-5840 or book online.