Hi,
I've been learning about the links between hormones and acne. Just want to make sure my understanding is correct.
My understanding:
- both androgen and estrogen can cause acne
- anti-androgen includes: green tea, saw palmetto, nettle root, spiro
- anti-estrogen includes: progesterone (is it anti-androgen as well?), vitex, evening primrose oil
Is my understanding correct?
I'm male and has a bald spot. In this case can I assume that my acne is caused by androgen?
And if my acne is indeed caused by androgen, would taking something like vitex or evening primrose oil make it worse? I'm not sure how the balance of androgen and estrogen plays out with regard to acne.
Thanks.
Yes in your case (from what ive read) its caused by high androgen. I too feel I have the same problem because I have acne and extremely oily skin. In our case (being males) there is not to much we can do to lower androgen. (again im not a doctor this is just what ive read) For females they can go on birth control ect. to level their hormones as us males dont have that option.
Progesterone can be thought of as a hormonal balancer, particularly when it comes to the estrogens. It is the precursor, or substance from which most of the other steroid hormones are derived, including cortisol, androstenedione, the estrogens and testosterone. Progesterone has a remarkable repertoire of important jobs from normalizing blood sugar levels to facilitating thyroid hormone.
Progesterone deficiency can cause or make worse:
Irregular/heavy bleeding
Breast tenderness
Depression, fatigue, and poor concentration
Fibrocystic breast
PMS
Decrease Libido
Fibroid growth
Endometriosis
Water retention and bloating
Fat gain around hips and thighs
Bone loss
Hair loss
Breast and uterine cancer
Progesterone Excess:
Euphoria
Prolonged excessive use lead to symptoms of progesterone deficiency
Points to Remember:
1. Balance in the menstrual cycle is essential.
2. Estrogens message to cells is to GROW.
3. Progesterones message to cells is to stop growing and DEVELOP.
4. Hormones have checks and balances. Each hormone in the body has a counterpart hormone that regulates its function
5. Estrogen excess and progesterone deficiency can cause identical symptoms
Most progesterone in males is created during testicular production of testosterone.
The tendency for progesterone to have a regulatory effect is prompting widespread research into the potential value of maintaining progesterone levels in both males and females.
I read somewhere that progesterone regulates androgens and well as estrogens. I can't find the exact quote but it's out there somewhere.
Considering that many hair loss treatment therapies involve blocking DHT (dihydrotestosterone) and testosterone is an androgen, I would look into supplements that block or regulate androgens specifically.
You could experiment with using progesterone as a regulator, but there hasn't been a lot of studies on bioidentical progesterone use in males...so you'd be a guinea pig.
Thanks Green Gable. That's very informative.
Which supplements do you think are the most effective at regulating androgens?
The most effective non-prescription androgen regulators I know of are saw palmetto and stinging nettle. You can usually find them in the "men's health" or the "prostate health" section in a vitamin store.
There's not a lot of consensus exactly how much you should take for acne, but the general range is at least 320mg a day with upper limits of 1000mg a day.
I understand that stress negatively affects progesterone. Some time back I had wondered if progesterone (or homnal balance overall) was one problem. I have been under quite a bit of stress for long periods of time. I was so overstressed I literally felt like I would snap and have a breakdown. I was on edge all teh time. I started taking gotu kola and must say i have seen such a vast improvement. My emotional stability is so increased that I actually feel normal again! Things do not grate on me like the used to and I don't feel like i will just snap. I don't feel overwhelmed any longer. Since regulating the stress, I am waiting to see if this affects my hormones at all. I mean if they will balance out again on their own. I already noticed that my cycle had shorted the first month I used gotu kola. I don't know if that will be a recurring event or if it is just my body setting a new balance.
Anyhow, I didn't think how everything was so inetrrelatated. I may not have needed to mess with hormones directly, simply remove the negating factor so they can do what they need to. I don't know, but I will see. My skin hasn't miraculously cleared up, although I did notice less oil and many of my spots had deflated quite quickly. i still have issues at the moemnt, but I'll have to wait to see if that is residual from hormones resetting themselves, of from the SA or something else entirely.