Health and Beauty News: Clean living to help keep your hormones balanced

HEALTH AND BEAUTY NEWS: CLEAN LIVING TO HELP KEEP YOUR HORMONES BALANCED

HORMONES affect skin health in a variety of ways. Your hormones don’t just control how you feel, they can impact the health of your skin, too. They play a key role in skin health. We know this because certain hormonal disorders manifest themselves in the skin and hair, in addition to internally.

Hormone levels largely go unnoticed unless there’s something off. For instance, having low levels of thyroid hormones can contribute to weight gain, low mood and dry skin. Excess androgen, considered typical male hormones, which females also have, can stimulate sebaceous glands in the skin to pump out oil, contributing to the development of acne.

Another big hormonal player in skin health is estrogen. Even before menopause, as we age, estrogen levels can start to decline. Estrogen helps to stimulate the right amount of oil production to keep it supple, smooth, and plump. But as estrogen decreases, the skin is drier and itchier.

With a quick Google search, you’ll find many so-called health experts promising that a “hormone reset” will improve your skin health. But most often these aren’t healthcare professionals, and their claims are largely unfounded.

What is true is that if you’re experiencing symptoms such as a specific skin problem, your doctor may consider a hormonal condition. For instance, if you have irregular periods, acne along your jawline, and excess hair on your lip and chin, your doctor may evaluate you for polycystic ovary syndrome. Excess levels of “male hormones” called androgens, as well as high insulin may play a role in the cause of PCOS. In this case, treatment via weight reduction or prescription medication, like birth control pills or spironolactone, may help regulate hormones.

Diet and lifestyle habits that can optimise your hormonal and skin health.

This is not about taking a specialised rotation of supplements or adhering to a detox or cleanse. You can improve your skin health by getting plenty of sleep, having a balanced diet, exercising regularly, reducing alcohol consumption, and avoiding smoking. This is good, clean living.

Ultimately, hormones affect every function our body has, which includes skin diseases, and they’re important in keeping skin in balance.