Hormones and Your Skin

Hormones are more than just sexual rollercoaster feelings. Hormones are the communication system from the brain to each and every cell in the body, more than 100,000 trillion. Aging is partially caused by and results form hormonal miscommunication.

The skin is the largest organ of the human body. You may recall that from your anatomy class. It’s an organ; it’s like the digestive system but inside out. The “brain” of the cell is actually the membrane; this is like the gatekeeper. Cells are specific with “lock and key”, thus meaning they are programmed to allow certain nutrients, minerals and vitamins to pass into the cell. The key allows 60 to 100,000 trillion cells to communicate with each other. The brain is the primary control point of hormone activity and diet is the secondary control point of hormonal activity.

Various types of hormones are: Vitamins, Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), Steroid; DHEA, Estrogen, Progesterone, Testoterone, Cortisol, Aldosterone and Proteins.

The Pituitary Gland is the master gland that controls all the hormones. If you follow chokras, this is your third eye, the hypothalamus.

From the hypothalamus to the pituitary to target gland the to target cells, communication travels through blood to influence all cells, organs and functions.

Target glands include: thyroid, parathyroids, adrenals, pineal body, reproductive glands (digestive system).

Thriving or surviving. Your body is either thriving or surviving. If it’s not thriving, it’s in survival mode and that is causing more stress on your body, your organs and your adrenal glands.

Vitamin hormones are imperative and can be obtained orally or topically. Most important are Vitamins A and D; these are receptors have nuclear effects. For example, if you are deficient in vitamin A or D, you may have psoriasis and being deficient can also cause cancer. These vitamins are helpful in protecting you from the sun, thus protecting from skin cancer as well as breast and colon cancer. When applied topically, these vitamins induce hormonal effects.

EFA – Essential Fatty Acids are the Omegas 3a, 3b and 6. These act hormonally at DNA level, similar to estrogen. EFA’s help to maintain cell membrane integrity. EFA’s are converted to autocrine hormones, eicosanoids, improving effects of other hormones. If you have dry skin (which you should never have), you crave fatty foods and/or have painful menstrual cramps, you are deficient in Essential Fatty Acids. You can get EFA’s through food or through a supplement.

Steroid Hormones are derived from DHEA (and cholesterol). The human brain has a lot of cholesterol. Steroids are made in gonads and adrenals. They travel through the bloodstream on carrier proteins. You need cholesterol for your body to operate properly. There is no such thing as good and bad cholesterol. This is a marketing ploy.

DHEA is the precursor to all steroid hormones. As we age, our DHEA declines, also affecting other hormones levels. DHEA improves skins immunity (response to the environment and sun stressors). It also improves the skin’s moisturization with sebum production, however it may exacerbate acneic conditions.

DHEA stimulates collage, elastin and cell growth. It also improves epidermal thickness and abnormal discoloration. Topical applications inhibit skin cancer, protect the circulatory system and are readily absorbed.

If you can’t sleep, get dizzy and crave salt or salty food, you could have adrenal fatigue. The adrenal glands can become fatigued if you are overstressed and other hormones are affected first and then the adrenal glands become fatigued and the vicious cycle begins.