Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/1464744
New member benefit! Get the ASCP SkinPro app at ascpskincare.com/skinpro 75 THE MIRACULOUS HUMAN BODY is a dramatic example of biological cooperation. It's composed of trillions of cells (estimates range from 10 to 50 to even 100 trillion in the average human), and each of these individual microscopic entities can sense, understand, and communicate with each other so the biological living system can function in a coordinated manner. How is this possible? The answer is hormones—powerful biochemicals that control all functions of cells, and thus, everything that happens in the human body. Think of hormones as command messages that tell cells what to do. By interacting with a cell's membrane, hormones initiate electrical activities within that cell. In this way, they represent a major direct control point in the performance of every system and structure in the body, including all the organs. Nothing happens in the body without being initiated by a hormone-cell membrane interaction, and all nutrients and medications work by virtue of their effect on these fundamental biochemicals. The word hormone is derived from the Greek hormoa, meaning "I arouse to activity." Not surprisingly, the skin is an important target, and the health of the body's largest organ is a direct result of hormone actions. Over time, the potency of hormones naturally diminishes, and we can expect to observe all the signs of cutaneous aging we have come to expect as the years go by. Everything from wrinkles and thinning skin to age spots and dryness are the result of a reduction in hormone activity. No organ in the body exhibits the manifestation of decreased hormones more profoundly than skin, which is active, dynamic, and especially dependent on these messaging molecules. This means recognizing and understanding the basics of the human hormone system is a must for an esthetician who wants to keep their clients' skin healthy and beautiful as the years go by. By working to maintain the wellness and functioning of this system, we can go a long way toward mitigating the unwanted effects of aging skin. HORMONES AND SKIN There are around 50 major hormones in the body. While all of them have an effect on the skin, the following eight stand out in importance. Estrogen The most well-known of the female hormones, estrogen is not really a hormone. Rather it's a family of more than 20 hormones. In addition, there are plant versions of the human hormone called phytoestrogens that are found in various botanicals, such as soy, wild yam, raspberry, and licorice root. There are also industrial and cosmetic chemicals, such as sunscreens, preservatives, solvents, and fragrances, that have estrogen-like effects. These molecules, called xenoestrogens, have been blamed for a wide range of health challenges, including endometriosis and fibromyalgia, and cancers of the breast, reproductive organs, and colon. Not surprisingly for a hormone that has a such a wide-ranging biological impact, the so-called female hormone also affects the skin. Estrogen has been shown to help combat and correct several important aspects of cutaneous aging, including thinning, photodamage, and dryness. Estrogen also has important collagen-stimulating effects. Both topical application and internal supplementation are associated with increases in skin thickness and elasticity, indicative of increases in collagen synthesis and a decrease in collagen