How Can Oestrogen Help my Skin?

Oestrogen is the name for a group of female sex hormones present in the human body, although it is also present in men. Oestrogen not only controls the development of sexual characteristics such as the menstrual cycle, but it also helps keep women healthy overall. Without enough oestrogen women have thinner hair and drier, flakier skin, and are more prone to heart attacks, fractures and strokes.

Oestrogen in the Body

Oestrogen is produced naturally in the body, mainly by follicles in the ovaries. In post-menopausal women, oestrogen is also produced in the adrenal glands and breasts. Both men and women have oestrogen in their bodies, but females have much greater quantities of it than men. Pregnant women in particular have higher levels of oestrogen, which is why they appear to be “blooming” with health, with skin that appears to glow.

In fact, oestrogen has a profound effect on skin, helping to keep it soft, supple and moist (it also influences hair growth, keeping it thick and healthy). When the body loses some of its oestrogen, particularly with menopause, the skin can become so dry that wrinkles become more and more prominent and noticeable, despite religious skin care with moisturisers. Lower levels of oestrogen in the body can also cause acne in some people.

Additionally, many women find that a loss of oestrogen results in dryness in the skin around the genital area. The vulva, or skin alongside the vagina, may become drier and itchier, and this can make intercourse painful or unpleasant without artificial lubrication.

Oestrogen Supplements

Treatment with oestrogen supplements can be instrumental in helping the skin regain its previous suppleness and greatly improve your skin care regime. Studies have shown that post-menopausal women who undergo oestrogen treatment see increased collagen content, skin elasticity and thickness. Moreover, it has now been scientifically proven that oestrogen can make your skin look younger.

A group of German doctors staged an experiment where they guessed the ages of various post-menopausal women. Women who appeared younger than they really were found to have higher oestrogen levels. It is thought that HRT (hormone replacement therapy) containing oestrogen can help skin look more moist and less flaky, although those results are not 100 percent conclusive.

Types of Oestrogen Supplements

• Oral Contraceptives: Since birth control pills contain oestrogen, which is why they regulate menstrual periods, they are sometimes used as a method to treat acne. If your acne is found to be cause by a high level of hormones called androgens, which cause oil-producing glands to act up, then oral contraceptives may help.

• HRT: After menopause, skin seems to lose much of its suppleness and apparent moisture, often giving rise to prominent wrinkles. HRT appears to give skin back much of what it has lost and can even reverse some of the changes affected by menopause. However, HRT is not for everyone and has some documented risks. Ask your doctor.

• Natural Oestrogen Supplements: Increasingly popular, these supplements are made from plants and are called phyto-ooestrogens, and promise to help with menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, dry skin, and irritable moods. However, specific oestrogen-sensitive cancers, such as breast and endometrial cancer, may be made worse by taking such supplements, so ask your doctor if you feel you could be at risk. These type of supplements are unregulated, so always buy them from a reputable supplier.

Oestrogen is needed in the body for many reasons, one of which is to keep the skin soft, supple and moist. When we lose some of the naturally occurring oestrogen in the body, particularly during menopause, oestrogen supplements may be of help. It can also help both men and women who suffer from severe acne. Ask your doctor to suggest the best oestrogen supplement for you.

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