Updated: 04 January 2024
As we age, human growth hormone (HGH) production naturally slows, but it doesn’t affect adults in the same way as children.
Many people are turning to human growth hormone injections for their potential anti-ageing effect or to improve performance in the gym or at sports. Here, we share all the benefits and side effects of growth hormones to help you see the full picture of their use and whether they’re right for you.
Human growth hormone (HGH or GH) is the naturally occurring hormone that helps humans grow. It is primarily produced in the growth stage of life, peaking at puberty and then slowly declining later in life.HGH helps build, repair and maintain brain and organ tissue, build bones, and promote cell growth and regeneration. It’s a vital hormone produced by the pituitary gland. If a child is deficient in natural growth hormone (HGH) and suffers from poor growth, a doctor may prescribe synthetic human growth hormone so they can build strong, healthy bones and organs. Growth hormone deficiency is a rare condition but must be addressed.
Growth hormones are usually used for various medical conditions, although it has become more common for people to use them for other reasons.
Potential users for growth HGH treatment in the UK and around the world are:
While the above conditions are considered serious reasons for human growth hormone treatment, they can also be used to improve athletic performance or someone’s general quality of life. Some potential uses of human growth hormone injections are to combat:
Without the guidance of a doctor, taking human growth hormones can have severe and dangerous side effects. A professional doctor, such as Dr Tan, will use blood/urine tests to monitor HGH levels during the treatment to combat any side effects.
Side effects of using human growth hormone may still include:
Short-term potential side effects
Long-term and serious potential side effects
As with all types of medical treatments, there will be associated side effects, and it’s important to be aware of these so you can adjust the dose or stop the treatment if necessary. A review of the research into recombinant human growth hormone (rGH) therapy, which studied both the short and long-term effects, demonstrates that rGH therapy has had an exemplary track record of safety and efficacy.
Talk to your prescribing doctor immediately if you are taking growth hormones and experiencing any of the above symptoms. Alternatively, if you are concerned about any of the above symptoms or are curious to see other ways that human growth hormone injections could help you, our men’s health specialists at Harley Street MD are here to help. Benefits of Human Growth Hormone Treatment
If you have a growth hormone deficiency, supplementation of human growth hormone injections can improve your quality of life.
While not all of these benefits are true for every person, it’s wise to speak to a healthcare professional to help you achieve the results you’re hoping for before starting human growth hormone treatment. A good doctor should be able to set realistic expectations about what you can achieve.
Results are unlikely to happen overnight, but with HGH treatment taken over time, you can hope to achieve some of the following benefits:
If you’re concerned that you might have a growth hormone deficiency, you should consult a medical professional. They should be able to help you run the proper tests and diagnose you more accurately.
There are some signs you can look out for:
You should also be mindful that this list is not exhaustive, and if you have one or several of the symptoms listed, it doesn’t mean you have a growth hormone deficiency.
If you are unsure, it’s best to book a consultation with a doctor, as human growth hormone treatment is an effective treatment.
You may be wondering if the risk of side effects means that HGH treatment is not safe. As a medical treatment for conditions such as Turner syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, and renal failure, research into the long-term safety of treatment with recombinant human growth hormone concluded that “it has had an exemplary track record of safety and efficacy.” This does not mean the risk of side effects, including serious ones, should not be taken into consideration when HGH is used for reasons outside of these medical applications. However, as with all medications there are going to be side effects associated with any treatment, and you need to decide if the benefits outweigh potential side effects.
Men, in particular, use the hormone for athletic or aesthetic reasons, as it can help improve muscle mass and reduce body fat. Some sources say synthetic HGH improves athletic performance, but scientific proof of this is lacking. HGH is also banned by many professional sports leagues and athletic associations, resulting in fewer studies on growth hormones.
However, a group of researchers reviewed 44 studies on growth hormones in athletes. They found that:
“After receiving daily injections for an average of 20 days, the subjects who received GH increased their lean body mass (which reflects muscle mass but can also include fluid mass) by an average of 4.6 pounds.”
Many people use a combination of steroids and HGH to get maximum results in the gym. You may experience increased metabolism, a gain in muscle mass and decreased body fat, improved mood and cognitive function. If you want to use performance-enhancing drugs, we are here to help without judgment. It’s much safer if you use the help of a professional to mitigate the side effects these drugs can cause.
Although there is no scientific evidence to say that HRG can prevent ageing or be used as an anti-ageing treatment, the effects of human growth hormone injections, such as muscle growth, reduced body fat percentage, bone density, better immune system, organ health and strength, and improved quality of hair and skin may help you to feel younger and more vivacious.
However, as set out above, using human growth hormone is only advised in certain circumstances, such as human growth hormone deficiency. It therefore should not be seen as a go-to anti-ageing treatment. If anti-ageing is your goal, speaking to a professional for medical advice is the best option. They may recommend an alternative solution like Botox or a Non-Surgical Facelift, as opposed to human growth hormone injections.
Human growth hormone replacement therapy is an effective treatment for those who suffer from short-term or long-term pituitary disorders. The benefits of this natural remedy include increased muscle mass, better sleep patterns and reduced fatigue while promoting faster healing rates after exercise sessions.
HGH replacement therapy is available in two forms: self-administered or as injections from a doctor. The best results will come with treatments administered for months and sometimes years to optimise your body’s natural production of HGH levels.
Your treatment will start with a blood test to check your growth hormone profile and a consultation with a growth hormone expert. If it’s decided that growth hormone treatment is a good fit for you, then you will be prescribed a course of HGH injections and be taught how to administer them, or the doctor will administer them for you. The doctor will likely want to follow up with you after your course to evaluate how you’re feeling and run more blood tests.
If you’ve weighed up the benefits vs risks of HGH injections and think they might be for you, the next step would be to choose a specialist in HGH treatments. Harley Street MD is one of the only clinics registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) that prescribes human growth hormone injections in London — read more information about Dr Chia Tan here.
It’s difficult to know where to start when choosing a doctor to work with. If you have something serious like Turner syndrome or another genetic condition, we advise consulting with your regular doctor first. However, if you’re searching for HGH treatment to increase muscle mass or improve your general wellbeing, it’s important to look for a specialist like Dr Chia Tan of Harley Street Medical Doctors.
In general, you should look for the following in your human growth hormone specialist:
The practitioner or clinic should be able to offer you a blood test, followed by a consultation and a plan that’s bespoke to your particular needs. They should also be interested in following your progress during treatment.
Harley Street MD offers a discreet, professional service, free of judgement, with one of our men’s health or human growth hormone (HGH) experts.
Do you think you have a growth hormone deficiency, or are you considering using growth hormones? Book a consultation with our men’s health experts, and we can help you through the process.
Mon - Fri 9.00 - 19.00
Sat 10.00 - 16.00
Sun closed
Bank Holiday closed
