Your Beauty and Your Hormones by: Carrie Pierce

As we discussed in my last article ('It All Starts Here-') from a cellular point of view, aging takes place via three classifications:

Intrinsic Aging (internal cellular aging that happens normally through metabolism/cellular lifespans)
Photo Aging (aging that happens due to sun exposure)
Environmental Aging (aging that happens because of the toxins found in our environment and lifestyle ie: cigarettes, alcohol, extreme weather conditions, pollution, etc.)

For our purposes today, we're going to focus our attention on Intrinsic Aging; chiefly how hormone deficiencies during menopause serve to age the skin.
It's a well-known fact: the more advanced one's age, the more deficient in hormones. The more deficient in hormones, the more flaky, dull, dry and thin one's skin becomes.
Coincidence? -Nope!

We all know that during menopause, the ovaries cease making estrogen. We often forget that estrogen plays several key roles in the formation and maintenance of healthy-firm skin.
We often make the mistake of thinking only of estrogen though– tending to downplay the roles progesterone and even testosterone play in female health and beauty.

How Hormone Deficiencies Age the Skin

It's been recently discovered that Estrogen plays a role in slowing and in some cases stopping the signs of aging by assisting in the production of collagen- which is the primary ingredient for young looking skin. Collagen also maintains skin tone and proper skin hydration.
Testosterone on the other hand has been proven to be important for aiding in the production of sebum- the waxy/oily protective/nutrient substance of the skin.

Recent studies have shown that women who take estrogen and testosterone HRT have a 48% thicker skin than women who don't.
It is estimated that the skin loses possibly up to 30% of its collagen during the first 5-6 years of menopause.

Hormone supplementation is being shown to impact- and in some cases reverse- the aging process of the skin.
In one school of belief however, a process of aging called Sub-Hormone Level Theory points to a strong correlation between hormone decline and the onset of visible signs of skin aging (standard bagging, sagging and wrinkling).
In this school of belief, it is felt that mainstream HRT (replacing only the deficient levels of Estrogen/Progesterone and possibly Testosterone is not enough to bring about a full reversing of the impact of aging on the skin.
It is felt that DHEA and HGH (Human Growth Hormone) should also be added to the mix, as these hormones are also of importance to the female body and are usually overlooked -and undervalued.

Methods of Effective Application
It is believed that there are two consistently effective methods of application of hormones for maximum skin health and benefit.
These two methods are:
Topical Application: applying hormone-containing creams to the skin topically in regular and measured doses.
Systematic Delivery: delivery of hormones via the bloodstream.
(Sublingual Delivery is also a method gaining growing support but for the purpose of our article today we will focus only on the
first two methods.)

Bio Identical -vs- Synthetic

Discussing Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) even only topically for skin benefit, brings up the debate: Bio Identical -vs- Synthetic hormones…
That's a debate for another time when we have several issues of the ezine to devote to the subject, as it is a very important-and confusing- one indeed, but to simply clarify here for the record:
Bio Identical hormones are hormones comprised of the very same molecular structure as hormones made naturally within the human
body.
Synthetic hormones are just that: artificial molecules that are foreign to the body. It is believed that as these hormones and molecules are foreign the risk for side effect is greater than with natural and/or Bio-Identical hormones.

For the purpose of improving skin health, as we have discussed in this article, it appears that both perform the job of protecting the skin, keeping it thick, plump and hydrated- as well as protecting from collagen loss.
The growing trend in skin care today appears to be hormone containing creams and salves and cellular sugar compounds that serve to nourish otherwise waning skin cells.

In any event, more and more, menopausal women are cornering the Health and Beauty market- and it will be most interesting to see how that market responds!