I used Winona for HRT a little over a year ago (you can read about my full experience with Winona). Around the time I turned 35, my hormonal issues seemed to really ramp up. Most notably, I had gained about 10 lbs, and despite doing all the right things, I couldn’t get the weight off. As a personal trainer and nutrition coach, you can imagine how frustrating it is to be coaching others through the weight loss process, but not be able to achieve my own goals. 

Without getting too detailed about why I chose to try HRT, I will say that it was an option presented to me by my doctor, and at that point, I was pretty much willing to try anything. I don’t have health insurance, so I set out to find an online provider that offered affordable and hassle-free pricing for HRT. While researching, I discovered several telehealth providers that were prescribing HRT for eligible women. Winona and Musely were two of them.

Obviously, I ended up choosing Winona, but I wanted to compare the two here for you to help you understand why I chose one over the other and why my choice might not be the most aligned choice for you. If you’re where I was about a year ago, wanting to give HRT a try, but not sure where to start and who to trust, I hope this video helps.

What Musely Has to Offer

Let’s start by chatting about what Musely has to offer. First, Musely isn’t a solely HRT platform; I would actually consider them more of a skincare provider with HRT as an add-on. The majority of Musely’s products and services are focused on improving skin conditions like dark spots, aging, redness, etc. But they are also offering hair care, enhancers (facial hair removal, eyelash growth), and menopause treatments (HRT). The majority of their marketing is based on skincare.

I came to Musely with the intention of checking out their HRT options. The first thing that I noted was that they filed HRT under the category of “menopause,” but I was 35 and not even sure I was in perimenopause yet. To a younger perspective new patient like myself, Musely almost gives off the vibe that their HRT products are for older women - that was just my take. 

Musely really only has one HRT product: The Estrogen Boost, an estrogen-based prescription topical cream that treats symptoms of menopause (hot flashes, mood swings, weight gain, etc.). This cream contains estrogen, progesterone, and estriol. These are bioidentical hormones that are designed to help combat estrogen loss due to aging. It’s a pretty classic product as far as HRT goes. Musely also has an anti-aging repair cream that’s meant to restore skin elasticity, but that’s it as far as “menopause” care goes.

I noticed when viewing Musely’s HRT cream that they have a note about this cream being only for women aged 40-60, which counted me out. I didn’t go through with the process of trying to order it as I didn’t feel it was a good fit for me. I see Musely as a provider that mostly caters to skincare needs but can also prescribe women over 40 HRT if they need it. I didn’t feel as though I was a good fit, being that I was under their recommended age. That said, if you’re 40+, it’s not a big deal at all. 

What Winona Has to Offer

I had been aware of Winona for a couple of years prior to actually beginning treatment with them. One thing that helps Winona stick out from other HRT providers is that HRT is their main offer. Winona has multiple HRT options to choose from, which increases the likelihood of getting access to a treatment that will best fit your needs.

When you first get on Winonna’s website, you’ll see that they explicitly state that they treat women 35+ for perimenopause and menopause symptoms. While I am aware that the treatment at Winona and Musely is probably very similar, I like that Winona is normalizing the fact that women start to experience hormonal changes far before they officially start menopause (as was the case with me). 

Winona has an extensive list of HRT options, which allows for a more customized experience and treatment plan. With Winona, you can get estrogen body cream with progesterone, estrogen patches, vaginal estrogen cream, DHEA, progesterone body cream, estrogen body cream, estrogen tablets, progesterone capsules, estriol cream with Tretinoin, and their Blossom cream (for increased arousal and enhanced sensation). 

I love that Winona doesn’t just prescribe a “one-size-fits-all” solution for HRT; they offer a variety of formulations and methods (creams, pills, and patches). Winona is a proponent of using DHEA alongside their estrogen/progesterone products as a way to safely increase testosterone levels; however, the use of DHEA can be a little controversial from what I’ve read. When I was using Winona, I was prescribed the estrogen body cream with progesterone along with DHEA. My Winona doctor explained to me that he prescribes DHEA in small doses that don’t carry any risk. I was ok taking it and have read many DHEA success stories inside Winona’s community group.

I truly feel as though Winona provides a more comprehensive plan for those seeking HRT for perimenopause and menopause simply because HRT is the only thing Winona offers, and they have a wider range of products. As a patient myself, I can attest to the fact that Winona’s doctors are very responsive and more than willing to chat with you about your symptoms, concerns, etc. I felt very comfortable and confident with my prescription HRT from Winona. 

Do Either Require Lab Work?

Neither Winona nor Musely requires lab work before obtaining an HRT prescription. Both providers believe in prescribing a standard low dose of medication first and then making any needed adjustments after, based on symptoms, not lab results. When I asked Winona why they don’t use lab testing to determine what hormone levels I needed, they explained that our hormone levels fluctuate daily and even hourly, so a random snapshot of levels can be highly inaccurate. Honestly, this is why so many women feel so frustrated during this time of their lives. Traditional medicine doctors will draw labs, determine that your levels are normal, and tell you that there’s nothing wrong, despite experiencing a wide range of symptoms.

Telehealth companies like Winona, Musely, and Midi Health (see Midi vs Winona to see the differences) are helping thousands of women get relief that they would otherwise not have access to if they were going to their regular doctor. 

My Recommendation

It’s pretty clear that I recommend Winona over Musely (even though I didn’t try Musely for HRT) just based on the fact that Winona has far more options for HRT. That being said, if I were looking for personalized skincare, Musely looks like a great option and has a ton of positive reviews and feedback. Personally, I like to choose companies that focus on one thing, which is the case with Winona. Plus, I have experience with Winona, and it was great - super easy process, supportive, and they have a wonderful online community where you can connect with others.

Winona also has a sister company, Willow, which offers compounded GLP-1 medications for those seeking weight loss. I appreciate that Winona didn’t just tack on GLP-1 treatment to their product lineup. Instead, they started a whole new company that focuses just on the GLP-1 treatments. 

If you have used Musely or Winona for HRT, feel free to leave your feedback!