Our hormones play a large role in all aspects of our health, including hair, skin, anti-aging, vitamin absorption, and our mood. Keeping your hormones balanced can make a difference in how you feel on a daily basis and how fast you age. Many adults don’t realize that they have a hormone imbalance, but experience a variety of unexplained symptoms including fatique, muscle weakness, extreme hunger, or consistent breakouts. Let’s look at what hormones come into play for your appearance, and how a better balance can help improve your overall health.
What Hormones Are At Play For Hair, Skin, and Nails
Our bodies are full of hormones, all of which have a different role to play in the operation of our bodies and organs. Deficiencies or too much of one hormone can lead to fragile hair and nails, dryness, and a higher risk of acne.
One hormone that is commonly linked to lower quality hair, skin, and nails is Estrogen. This hormone is linked to collagen, elastin, and skin hydration. Low estrogen levels are most common in women, but they can cause hair loss and red patches of skin across the body.
Testosterone helps to promote hair growth, but imbalances can cause oily scalps, skin, and acne breakouts. This typically occurs when women have high testosterone or men have low testosterone.
Progestosterone goes hand in hand with testosterone and often is the reason for excess oil production. Progesterone helps to regulate the hormone testosterone, so having a lower progesterone level can lead to weaker strands, higher oil production on the scalp and across your face and body.
Also known as the stress hormone, Cortisol can trigger a number of ailments across your skin. Eczema, acne, dry patches, and hair loss can all be linked to stress. Stress that is not regulated can spike cortisol levels, making it hard for topical or oral treatments to help your condition.
Thyroid problems are often linked to imbalanced hormones. Hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormones) can lead to dry skin, while hyperthyroidism (high hormone levels) can cause oily skin and hair. Thyroid hormones can also cause other issues in the body, such as fatigue, weakness, or weight gain. These other symptoms may cause certain people or medical professionals to blame some other cause, rather than check for hormone imbalances.
Prevent Hair Loss
Controlling your androgen hormones like testosterone and DHEA will help prevent hair loss or excessive hair growth. Hormone hair loss is often linked to another metabolite of testosterone called DHT. DHT is known to shrink the hair follicles, leading to loss. For women with PCOS and imbalanced hormones, high levels of testosterone can cause hair loss in one area, with excessive hair growth in another.
Fewer Breakouts
Hormonal acne is common for many people, even into adulthood, because of an imbalance. Getting hormone therapy or learning how to balance them naturally can limit the number of breakouts you experience, especially for women during different phases of their cycle. If you are seeing acne along your jawline, cheeks, chin, and neck, this could be due to androgen production and should be treated as a hormone problem rather than a topical problem.
Stronger Nails
Production of collagen and biotin is crucial for strong nails. Balancing your hormones and taking supplements that contain biotin can help you grow stronger and longer. Watch for ridges or discoloration that could indicate a deeper health issue.
Hormones That Contribute To Faster Aging
Many of the hormones that impact our skin, hair, and nails are also helpful in preventing premature aging. Collagen, elasticity, hydration, and skin brightness can all be affected by hormones. Hormone imbalances can increase the signs of aging, causing your skin to look dull or more prone to fine lines and wrinkles. Since hormone imbalances can manifest in multiple ways, stress or mood swings can also contribute to aging due to damage to cells.
Hormone Replacement From Regeneration Health
Our team offers hormone replacement therapy to help address hormone imbalances. Regeneration Health focuses on treating the root problem of your symptoms, allowing you to feel like your best self, participate in your favorite activities, and remain healthy into older adulthood. Using a holistic and patient-centered approach, our professionals can introduce synthetic hormones to help bring your body back into balance and limit severe symptoms. With frequent appointments with our doctors, you will understand how your treatment is working and be able to make adjustments as necessary.