Top 5 Hormones Affecting the Health of Your Skin

There are many important factors to healthy skin:  a diet rich in fruits and vegetables of many colors, good hydration, regular exercise.  There are some important factors to avoid as well including sun damage, smoking, sugar and processed foods.  

But did you know that there are also many hormonal issues that can affect skin health?

Estrogen has many important actions on the skin:  It retains moisture, to prevent dry skin (and dry hair and dry eyes and vaginal dryness…).   It maintains collagen and elasticity to prevent wrinkling.  It also helps to maintain the thickness of the skin.  There are more estrogen receptors in the skin of the face than on other parts of the body, so declining estrogen levels cause more obvious changes on facial skin.  

Estrogen replacement has been shown to increase skin thickness and elasticity, improve collagen content in the skin, and reduce fine lines and wrinkles.  Some women actually choose to apply their topical estrogen cream on their face to maximize skin benefits.  Even if estrogen is not applied to the skin, women often notice improvements in their skin, including that healthy glow, when their estrogen levels are restored.  

Testosterone can cause skin problems when it is too low OR too high! 

When testosterone levels are low in older men and women,  skin tends to become thinner, and wound healing is impaired.  Testosterone adds some oil to the skin, and this can be helpful in aging skin which tends to be dry.

On the other hand, excess testosterone or DHEA can cause excessively oily skin and acne breakouts, as well as excess hair growth.  

Progesterone has been found to help maintain skin thickness and elasticity, and helps to maintain scalp hair growth.  It also helps to reduce the negative effects of testosterone on the skin, so a lack of progesterone can exacerbate the effects of excess testosterone.

Hypothyroidism (low thyroid function) is often associated with skin dryness as a result of decreased sweating and reduced sebum production.  Many other factors may be seen with low thyroid:  pale skin color, dry bumps on the upper arms, puffiness around the eyes, scalp hair loss, loss of the outer third of the eyebrow,  dry and brittle hair.   

Cortisol is your main stress hormone.  Stress has been associated with skin problems such as acne breakouts.  Since cortisol regulates your immune system, stress can exacerbate rashes such as psoriasis and eczema, which are due to immune system problems.  There is actually a new area of study called psychodermatology looking at the links between skin health and emotional stressors. 

As you can see, there are many ways in which hormones affect your complexion.  If you want healthy, glowing skin then proper hormonal balance is important!

If you are having skin issues and feel that hormones may be part of the problem, please give us a call!  704-752-9346 or email us at questions@signaturewellness.org.  You can find more information at www.signaturewellness.org

How to have younger looking skin

You know the basics for promoting healthy skin.  A “whole foods” diet (as opposed to processed foods), rich in a variety of colorful fresh fruits and vegetables is the basis of overall health, and skin health is no exception.   Staying hydrated is important.   Exercise improves blood flow to the skin, and helps maintain skin health.  

Avoiding sun damage is critical.  Some sun exposure is important to make sure you are getting vitamin D (which is also good for skin health!), but sun damage can be prevented by wearing a hat and a non-toxic sunscreen.

Did you know that hormonal balance is also important to skin health?  A medical study found that women with the lowest estrogen levels looked 8 years older than their actual age, and women with higher estrogen levels looked 8 years younger than their age (that is a 16 year differential!).  Estrogen helps maintain collagen production in your skin, which helps minimize fine lines and wrinkles, and it helps your skin remain hydrated.  You may notice that your skin “glows” when you are hormonally balanced.

Significant changes occur in your skin during menopause, including thinner skin, increased wrinkling, skin dryness, and loss of elasticity and firmness of your skin.    Skin thickness has been found to decrease by 1.5% per year after menopause, and collagen content can be reduced by as much as 30% within 5 years of menopause.  These skin changes appear to be more closely related to length of time that you have been estrogen deficiency than to your actual chronological age.  (In other words, the longer you have been without estrogen, the older you look!)

Hormone replacement has been shown in a number of studies to help improve hydration of the skin, maintain skin thickness and elasticity, improve blood flow to the skin and increase collagen production. 

In one study, estrogen replacement resulted in a measurable increase in skin thickness after only 2 weeks of applying topical estrogen.  Another study found that skin thickness was increased by 30% after 12 months of estrogen therapy.

A large study showed reduced wrinkling in postmenopausal women on estrogen replacement.    Another study of women on hormone replacement found less wrinkles in the estrogen treated group compared with women on no hormones.  

Estrogen has also been shown to speed up wound healing and offer some protection against photoaging (sun damage).  

Estrogen is good for your heart, your bones, your brain and also your skin!

Apart from maintaining your hormone balance, there are a number of aesthetic treatments that can help you to look as young as you feel!  

SkinPen treatments are ideal if you want to treat fine wrinkles, acne scars,   or sun damage.  A small device contains tiny surgical-grade needles that produces microscopic punctures in your skin.  This stimulates the production of collagen and elastin which give your skin a more youthful appearance. It mimics what a laser treatment does, but without the discomfort or downtime. 

And have you heard about PRP (platelet rich plasma) to rejuvenate the skin?  PRP is obtained from your own blood - it is the fraction of your blood which contains growth factors.  It is injected into your skin, where it activates your own stem cells to stimulate growth of collagen, blood vessels and nerve fibers.  We are harnessing your own innate healing potential to create younger looking skin! 

If you are interested in learning more about how to have younger looking skin,  please visit our website at www.signaturewellness.org.  Or you may contact us at questions@signaturewellness.org, or call at 704-752-9346.   

Yours in health, 

DrM

Miracle grow for your tissues?

During the past several years, much has been written about a preparation called platelet-rich plasma (PRP).

It has been used by famous athletes including Tiger Woods to help with more rapid healing from injuries including sprains and chronic tendon injuries.  It has also been used in race horses, in dentistry,  and in surgery to help improve the healing process.

Other uses for PRP are now available - including correcting incontinence, rejuvenation of the skin, stimulating hair re-growth, and restoring lift and fullness to breasts.

PRP for Stress Incontinence - the O Shot

Many women lose urine when laughing, coughing, or exercising.  This is called stress incontinence, and is caused by a weakening of the pelvic sphincter muscles due to the effects of childbirth or aging.

Until now we did not have good solutions, other than wearing a pad or having surgery.  The O-Shot has been a game changer in managing incontinence - it is non-invasive, simple, fast and relatively inexpensive, with virtually no risks. 

It starts with a simple blood draw.  Using a proprietary technique, the platelets are separated and the Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), containing growth factors, is extracted.  The PRP is injected into an area adjacent to the urethra.  The area is numbed prior to the procedure, so there is little to no discomfort.

The O-Shot activates stem cells in the localized region and these tissues are able to regenerate and improve their strength and ability to prevent urine flow.  In many cases, the incontinence may be completely resolved.  We have had patients who had been able to cancel surgery for their incontinence .

PRP for Skin rejuvenation - the Vampire Facelift

With age, your skin changes.  The color becomes more gray because of less blood flow, the shape of the face collapses as muscle and collagen decrease, and the skin texture becomes less smooth.  As a result, you look worn and tired. 

The Vampire Facelift offers a way of both restoring shape, and improving tone and texture, as well as literally rejuvenating new and younger tissue!   

The procedure involves using fillers such as Juvederm to restore shape followed by injecting growth factors (PRP) into the skin to help restore color and texture along with enhancing a normal shape.   The PRP activates stem cells in your skin to grow new collage, new fatty tissue (for smoothness) and new blood vessels (for a healthy glow).  The effects of the procedure improve for 2-3 months and last for at least 1 to 2 years.  

PRP for hair regrowth

Did you know that 40 percent of Americans with hair loss are women?  Hair loss can effect our self image, and in some cases can be very devastating to emotional health.  

While restoring hormone balance and nutritional status can help in some cases, it is not always enough.   PRP may be a good choice for women (and men!) with chronic hair thinning.  

The application of PRP stimulates the hair follicles to become healthier and larger, producing thicker, darker hairs with better scalp coverage.  

First, your blood is drawn and then specially processed to produce the PRP.  A local anesthetic is administered to numb the scalp treatment area. The PRP is then administered via a series of tiny injections in the required areas of the scalp or in areas such as the eyebrows or beard. Additional growth factors are then applied topically.

New hair growth can be seen as early as 2 months, but is typically evident between 5-8 months and will continue to improve up to a year after treatment. The addition of Laser Therapy (LaserCap) can enhance the outcome.

I am really excited about offering PRP to our patients.  This treatment honors the body’s intelligence and ability to heal itself, it does not disrupt hormone balance, does not contain chemicals, and offers great results.  

If you have an issue that may be helped with PRP and would like more information, please click here. To schedule an appointment please call at 704-752-9346 or email us at questions@signaturewellness.org.

Yours In Health, 

DrM