The Role of Sex Hormones in Skin Health

The document explores the role of sex hormones-estrogens, androgens, and progesterone-in the development, maintenance, and overall health of the skin. These hormones affect various skin functions, such as regulating sebaceous gland activity, collagen production, and skin healing. Understanding how sex hormones influence skin health is crucial for developing targeted treatments for different skin conditions. Hormonal changes throughout life-such as puberty, pregnancy, and menopause-can significantly impact skin health, highlighting the need to maintain hormonal balance for healthy skin. This review draws on scientific data from archives such as PubMed and Scopus, as well as classic scientific publications, to enhance understanding of the role of sex steroids in the skin. To locate relevant information, we searched for keywords related to the functions of sex hormones-specifically, androgens, estrogens, and progestins-in skin health. We also examined the structure, physical, and chemical properties of the skin. Furthermore, we explored the hormonal precursors in the skin and their significance in developing and maintaining healthy skin, as well as their roles in various skin conditions. This review also highlights several new molecules that show promising results in pharmacological and in vitro studies and require further investigation in clinical settings. In conclusion, sex hormones are essential for skin health, influencing texture and hydration, supporting healthy skin maintenance, and impacting skin conditions. Ongoing research continues to explore potential treatments for skin issues caused by hormonal changes, emphasizing the importance of new steroidal agents that effectively decrease skin lipid production, as demonstrated in this paper.