Hormones & their Effects on Aging
Truth be told, your clients are in search of expert support and knowledge when it comes to hormones and the role they play in how the skin and body ages!
We have all heard, ‘men age so much better than women’ and ‘men tend to look more distinguished as they age, and women just start to look old’. Is it a stereotype that ‘men age better’ than women?
Unfortunately for women, there is science to support this belief.
It is no secret that men and women age differently. The aging of skin is a direct result of collagen levels. Collagen is a protein found in skin and connective tissues and is responsible for your skin’s elasticity. The elasticity of your skin will determine how youthful your skin and face appear. The human body loses collagen as it ages, which is why your skin looks dramatically different throughout the years.
Men and women differ when it comes to collagen loss. Males begin to lose collagen earlier in life and more consistently throughout their life. Females tend to keep most of the collagen up until they experience hormone fluctuations beginning with perimenopause and menopause. Once menopause hits, there is a significant loss in estrogen which leads to the substantial loss of collagen. While males gradually look older, females experience a more sudden, marked change in their appearance.
Let’s take a closer look at how hormones play a role in aging skin.
Androgen: typically thought of as male hormones but are important to women's health. Androgens are produced in the ovaries and adrenal cortex and are converted into estrogen.
Estrogen: a group of steroid hormones which promote the development and maintenance of female characteristics of the body.
Did you know that women’s androgen levels affect the production of estrogen? Once androgen levels decline so does the primary female hormone, estrogen. This decline has a number of effects on the female aging process including the following:
1. Bone loss especially in the face, giving a gaunt appearance.
2. Impaired sexual function
3. Lower physical performance
4. Weight gain
5. Cognitive decline
6. Emotional change
Researchers are beginning to study the effects of androgens on aging skin but are aware of the need to learn more about how declining testosterone affects female health.
Estrogen
