Hormones and hair
Sex hormones that are mainly synthesised in the gonads and the adrenal glands of human have a significant role in skin and hair health.
Prostate a male secondary sex organ can convert testosterone into the more potent dihydrotestosterone (DHT)that is more potent then the testosterone and has five times more affinity to androgen receptors which causes hair follicle to contract and thus shortens the growth phase of hair cycle leaving them light and prone to fall so the term called androgenic alopecia that is common in men with higher levels of DHT
Female body produces estrogen as well the testosterone with the help of ovaries that further converts it to estradiol the active form of estrogen can lead to excess production of testosterone that gets converted to DHT a leading cause of androgenic alopecia in women mainly during menopause.
Along with the sex organs the adrenal gland also produce sex hormones, DHEA a chemical produced here is a derivative of cholesterol which is converted to estrogen and testosterone by the enzyme called aromatase. This is another leading cause of the following -
1. Excess body hair and facial hair in women
2. Acne
3. Hair loss with male type baldness
It has been seen that in the menopause phase there is sharp decline of hormones and changes in FSH and LH ratio so the female body tends to produce more of DHT leading to hair loss and hair thinning.
Treatment of hairfall due to overactive androgen
1. Finisteride oral or topical application along with minoxidil.
2. Biotin, selenium, Zinc are the essential nutrients that play a positive role in hair growth.
3: Aldactone an anti androgen also helps in hair fall by blocking the androgen overactivity.
Hormones and skin
Sex hormones produced by gonads and adrenal glands are responsible for ageing and various changes in skin like occurrence of acne and melasma.
Melasma due to hormonal imbalance
1. Hormonal imbalance due to increase in progesterone during pregnancy leads to melasma, similarly intake of oral contraceptive pills with hormonal combination of estrogen and progesterone also increases activity of the melanocytes to produce more of melanin.
2. Insulin resistance in polycystic ovarian disease induces a condition called acanthus nigricans where excessive of pigmentations is seen on body folds.
3. Stress either physical or emotional is another cause as during stress body produces the hormone called cortisol which triggers tyrosine an enzyme which increases the activity of melanocytes to produce melanin.
4. Nutritional deficiency also contributes to pigmentation issues as seen in deficiency Vitamin C, lycopene, selenium, biotin and iron deficiency lead to photo sensitive.
5. Allergic reactions to certain drugs and cosmetics may also lead to hyperpigmentation.
Melasma Treatment
1. Correction of hormonal imbalance .
2. Dietary intake of carotenoids, flavonoids vitamin A,D,K and C , use of glutathione , lycopen.
3. Oral aldactone along with tranexamic tablets in female patients shows significant improvement in reducing pigmentation.
4. Reducing the intake of carbohydrates and sugars in insulin resistance show significant improvement in patients of PCOS with acanthus nigricans.
5. Use of chemical peels like glycolic peel jessner’s peel and lactic peel along with use of retinoic creams helps to reduce the melasma.
Dr Jasreen Kaur Jaura
MD Physician Clinical Cosmetologis
Careers
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