Blog — hormones

The Skin and Hormones It certainly isn't news that hormones are involved in skin health. But it may be news that effects of declining estrogen levels are more obvious on the skin of the face than elsewhere on the body.  How so? Read on. Lower Hormone Levels = Lower Skin Vitality Women and their doctors have known for a long time that the decline in hormone levels as we age has a negative impact on skin properties, and we typically see skin thinning, wrinkling, discoloration, and dryness. This is because hormones are intrinsically involved with maintaining collagen content, skin lipid...

Hormones are intrinsically involved with processes affecting the maintenance of skin health, such as collagen content, skin lipid levels, elasticity, wound healing, glycoaminoglycan content, and facial hair patterns. A major culprit for the skin thinning, wrinkling, and dryness associated with aging is the decline in hormones such as estrogen and progesterone in women, and testosterone in men.  Therefore, it's no coincidence that the decline in hormone levels as people age parallels the decline in skin properties frequently associated with aging. And, with skin health being such a major concern especially in aging women, this is very good news for the cosmetic...

“Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.” This famous quote strikes me as particularly appropriate for a conversation about stress. It speaks to what is most surprising about humanity. I find the point being made to be poignant – especially when we...

An eye-opening discussion and review of mental health case histories with Alyssa Burns-Hill, PhD takes practitioners through the hormone looking glass for a deeper understanding of depression and mental illness.  From Burns-Hill's perspective, mental health is not just the preserve of mental health professionals, but a global health problem that all specialists – from family practitioners and psychiatrists, to neurologists and social workers – ought to be concerned about. She points to the 2010 Global Burden Disease Study that identified the most predominant mental health problems as depression and anxiety, which are symptoms physicians see in practice every day. Yet...

Trusted and reliable contraception is a monumental achievement of the last century. It is very effective at preventing pregnancy, oral contraceptives, generally referred to as "the Pill," are commonly prescribed to women of reproductive age. Apart from contraceptive purposes, the Pill can also be used to treat gynecological disorders such as irregular or excessive bleeding, polycystic ovarian syndrome, severe menstrual cramping, acne, and endometriosis-associated pain, and their use has been associated with a reduced risk of endometrial cancer.  The small print – side effects Since its approval for contraceptive purposes 55 years ago, major changes have been implemented in the...