
There are many hormones in our body that are impacting our overall health and wellness, and hormonal imbalances play a huge part in the health of our skin as well. When our hormones are imbalanced it leads to a perfect storm of conditions that result in acne. This article discusses the 5 hormones that could be impacting your skins health.
INSULIN
Insulin, a hormone, made by the pancreas, is INTEGRAL for maintaining your skins health. Insulin helps to regulate your blood sugar levels, making sure they are not too high or too low. If you develop insulin resistance (an inability to balance your blood sugar), your body will make androgen hormones more active (such as testosterone, which we will discuss below) and increasing insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) - READ HERE ABOUT FOODS THAT INCREASE IGF-1 HERE. When we have an increase in these hormones we see more sebum production and therefore resulting in clogged pores and more breakouts.
Understanding and testing for insulin resistance:
HbA1C
Fasting Insulin
Fasting Blood Glucose
HOMA-IR
Best ways to support your insulin response
Whole Foods Diet
Movement
Supplementation and Medication use when necessary (guided by a health professional)
TESTOSTERONE
Acne, hirsutism (excess hair growth in unwanted areas), androgenic alopecia and female pattern hair loss (FPHL)… are ALL signs of elevated Testosterone levels. When our Testosterone levels are too high it can influence inflammation with regards to acne lesions and hormonally impacts ALL our hormones. These imbalances results in the clogging of pores, increased inflammation and an all around perfect environment for you to break out.
Elevated Testosterone can be seen in PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), and something to consider if you have any of the above symptoms. Working with your ND is essential to understanding if this is a health issue to be investigated further.
Naturally decreasing Testosterone levels can be supported by adding in:
Spearmint
Licorice Root
Saw Palmetto
Chinese Peony
Nettle
ESTROGEN
Estrogen, the dominant hormone in the first half of your menstrual cycle, has been linked to many positive impacts on your skin. Such as an increase in collagen levels, promoting skin hydration, wound healing, keeping androgens in check and a reduction in sebum production. What this means is healthier, clearer skin
When heading into the second half of your menstrual cycle, dominated by progesterone, when estrogen is no longer as high, androgens (aka testosterone) are no longer in check and this will result in an increase in sebum production and therefore acne.
That being said, when estrogen levels are too high, sometimes referred to as ‘estrogen dominance’, hormones are imbalanced and this can result in inflammation and a cascade of conditions that make it easier for our skin to breakout.
LH & FSH
LH (Luteinizing Hormone) and FSH (Follicle-Stimulating Hormone), are hormones that are essential for ovulation, fertility and reproductive health. Ovulation is so important when we are discussing menstrual cycles, women’s health and should not be overlooked when it comes to our skins health as well.
You are probably wondering what this has to do with acne? When testing for LH and FSH levels we want to see the ratio of LH:FSH to be less than 2. When this ratio is greater than 2 we start thinking about PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), which has a HUGE connection with our androgen (testosterone) levels. We know our testosterone levels are directly linked to our skin and an increase in break outs.
CORTISOL
Cortisol, or our stress hormone, is released when we are feeling overwhelmed and stressed out. Needless to say, this time in our lives we can safely assume that we have been secreting more cortisol than usual.
Cortisol has been shown to alter our gut microbiome, increase intestinal permeability, which results in skin inflammation. BUT, it also has shown that when cortisol is secreted it alters our sebum production and more oil is produced = more breakouts.
Its important to note that elevated cortisol levels or constant high stress can result in further hormonal imbalances with your sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, etc)
FINAL WORDS
All your hormones are so interconnected and if one is out of balance it may be that others are as well. Making sure to test and gather your WHOLE health picture is essential for understanding WHY your skin is reacting the way it is. Book a free Discovery Call HERE to get started on balancing your hormones and clearing your skin. Interested in knowing what foods could be impacting your skin as well, read this new blog post.
References
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