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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. “Hormones 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,” says S. Tyler Hollmig, MD, director of dermatologic surgery at UT Dell Medical School and Ascension Seton in Austin, Texas. Hormone levels largely go unnoticed unless there’s something off. For instance, having low levels of thyroid hormones, called hypothyroidism, can contribute to weight gain, low mood, constipation, and even dry skin, according to the Mayo Clinic. Excess androgen - considered typical male hormones, which females also have - can stimulate sebaceous glands in skin to pump out oil, one factor that contributes to the development of acne, says Fran Cook-Bolden, MD, a dermatologist affiliated with Mount Sinai Beth Israel in New York City. 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, skin is drier and itchier. We see this in patients with dry skin in general as well as in eczema patients during flares,” says Dr. Cook-Bolden. In fact, regular visits to your dermatologist can be critical for your hormonal health. “One of the most amazing things about dermatology is that the skin can serve as a window into the health of the body. Many endocrine and other internal disorders are diagnosed by dermatologists,” says Dr. Hollmig. A dermatologist can suspect whether a certain hormonal system is off balance, and then lab tests can confirm whether this is the case. Still, Hollmig adds, scientists don’t fully understand how certain hormones contribute to common skin conditions. Should You Try to 'Reset Your Hormones' for Better Skin Health? With a quick Google search you’ll find many so-called health experts promising that a "hormone reset" (via things like diet changes or supplements) will improve your skin health. But most often these aren’t healthcare professionals, and their claims are largely unfounded. Still, don’t feel bad if you were taken by the promise of better health, including for your skin. “I can see how some patients would find the concept of ‘resetting your hormones’ really appealing, but I’m not sure this really translates medically,” says Hollmig. 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, or PCOS. Excess levels of “male hormones” called androgens, as well as high insulin (another hormone) may play a role in the cause of PCOS, according to the Office on Women’s Health. In this case, treatment via weight reduction or prescription medication, like birth control pills or spironolactone, may help regulate hormones. Changing Hormones Influence Your Skin Throughout the Years Similarly, your doctor may grow suspicious that other hormonal factors are at play if your skin is not responding to tried-and-true treatments, says Hollmig. For instance, “acne largely caused by a hormonal imbalance would not likely improve significantly with a topical antibacterial wash,” he says. If your skin is not responding to treatment, your doctor may request lab testing. Puberty Can Trigger Hormonal Acne Puberty was probably the first time you noticed how fluctuating hormones affect your skin. During puberty - when a woman’s ovaries “turn on” - there’s a rise in estrogen as well as testosterone (it’s not a male-exclusive hormone). Receptors in the skin are sensitive to testosterone, pumping out sebum as a result, which can lead to acne, says Mary Jane Minkin, MD, clinical professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. (Because men make more testosterone, they tend to get worse acne, she says.) For women, hormonal birth control pills are an option, as they “put the ovaries asleep” and as a result, shut down testosterone production, says Dr. Minkin. Pregnancy-Related Hormonal Changes Are Linked With Melasma During pregnancy, skin changes vary widely among women. One notable skin change is melasma, a condition characterized by dark discolorations on your face. “Pregnancy is a state of high estrogen, making skin more sensitive to the sun,” says Minkin. To reduce your risk of developing melasma, she encourages patients to seek shade and always apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen.