Updated: Sunday October 13, 2013 MYT 9:42:45 AM
by dr nor ashikin mokhtar
Costly creams, lotions or treatments will not help if your skin problems are more than skin-deep.
Six ways hormones can adversely affect a woman’s skin.
YOU know the signs: pimple breakout, irritability, fatigue, bloating, and sometimes, tearfulness. It’s pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS), a sign of the impending “time of the month”.
You may be aware that PMS is caused by hormonal imbalance, but did you know that hormones affect your skin in all other ways too? That applies to women of all ages, from the time you experience menarche to menopause and beyond.
Hormones are actually chemical messengers that transfer information and instructions from one set of cells to another. Controlled by the endocrine system, hormones regulate every cell, organ and function of our bodies.
The endocrine system is made up of major glands such as the hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid, parathyroids, adrenals, pineal body, and the reproductive glands (the ovaries and testes).
At any one time, the endocrine system releases more than 20 kinds of hormones into the bloodstream, where they can exert their influence on the specific body part that they were designed for.
Organs such as the pancreas, brains, heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, skin, thymus and placenta also secrete hormones.
Changing hormone levels affect the skin in many ways. Low hormone levels lead to dryness, wrinkles, sallow skin – all signs of skin ageing. Overactive hormones, on the other hand, makes skin oily, thick and prone to acne. Here’s how your hormones affect your skin.
Acne
One of the main reasons for acne is the overactive action of hormones known as androgens, which include testosterone, DHEAs and others. Yes, women have testosterone too, although in much smaller amounts compared to men.
Testosterone stimulates the sebaceous glands, causing an excessive production of oil. The pores get plugged up, trapping bacteria from the environment.
When the immune system detects the presence of the bacteria, it sets off an immune response in the skin, causing redness, swelling, pus, and eventually scarring if not treated well.
Testosterone levels tend to increase a week before your period, hence the acne during PMS.
Wrinkles and fine lines
As you age, oestrogen production in the ovaries decreases, which also accounts for reduced fertility over time. Oestrogen is also known as the “female hormone” because it is responsible for almost all feminine characteristics, such as clear skin, a shapely figure, and bone and heart health.
Oestrogen is also responsible for the production of hyaluronic acid, collagen and elastin, the very substances in costly anti-ageing beauty products.
After the age of 40, oestrogen levels begin dipping and the skin starts to lose elasticity. That is why you begin to see fine lines and wrinkles, usually beginning around the eyes.
Interestingly, oestrogen is stored in fat, so excessively thin people tend to age faster. Watch your diet, but keep a healthy balance!
Dry, sagging skin
Dry skin is also the effect of decreased oestrogen. It can also happen with hypothyroidism, where you are low on the thyroid hormones produced by the thyroid gland located at the front of the neck. Low thyroid function makes the skin dry and scaly.
Other symptoms of hypothyroidism are fatigue, muscle weakness, depression, joint pains and sensitivity to cold. Most women who are going through a low thyroid phrase describe themselves as “feeling and looking lousy”.
Hyperpigmentation (melasma)
Melasma are brown patches of skin that occur when oestrogen and progesterone produce more melanin pigments when exposed to the sun. Areas such as the forehead, nose and cheeks are common target areas.
Studies show that genetic factors play a part in determining whether you get melasma. Women with thyroid problems are more prone to melasma.
Recent studies also suggest that chronic stress decreases cortisol, and this can bring about a melasma outbreak.
Pregnant women tend to get linear nigra, a thin dark line from the navel to the groin that is also called the “mask of pregnancy”. This is caused by an overproduction of melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH), a type of pigment cell that is created during pregnancy.
Stretch marks
Remember those pink purplish marks on the abdomen, thighs, hips and arms after pregnancy or when you lose or gain excessive weight?
Stretch marks don’t just happen because the skin has been stretched excessively. Hormones also play a part.
During puberty, pregnancy or changes in weight, the adrenal glands produce a lot of hormones known as glucocorticoids, which cause collagen and elastin fibres to tear when the skin if stretched.
Rosecea
Rosecea, characterised by red, blotchy, itchy and flushed skin, is common among post-menopausal women. Oestrogen acts as an anti-inflammatory agent. When the body no longer produces sufficient oestrogen, it is more predisposed to skin inflammation.
Rosecea usually appears on the face and can get worse with sun exposure. In severe cases, the entire face can appear strikingly red and sore.
If your skin problems persist despite various treatments, speak to your doctor about the possibility of hormonal imbalance or disturbance. The bonus is that the right treatment will correct not just your skin problems, but other hormone-related symptoms.
Treatment can range from dietary changes to address nutritional imbalances that cause hormonal problems, to hormone replacement therapy or bio-identical hormonal treatment.
The latter is an emerging science, where certified anti-ageing experts or integrative medical practitioners diagnose your hormonal imbalances and recommend specific treatments based on your needs.
Remember, your skin acts as a barrier to the rest of your body. It is also the first thing people notice about you, so consider investing in good skin to look and feel good, inside-out!
> Datuk Dr Nor Ashikin Mokhtar is a consultant obstetrician & gynaecologist (FRCOG, UK). For further information, visit www.primanora.com. The information provided is for educational and communication purposes only and it should not be construed as personal medical advice. Information published in this article is not intended to replace, supplant or augment a consultation with a health professional regarding the reader’s own medical care.
http://www.thestar.com.my/Lifestyle/Viewpoints/Womens-World/Profile/Articles/2013/10/13/Bad-skin-Blame-it-on-your-hormones.aspx
