Erase Facial Wrinkles With Collagen and Elastin

A study out of Freidrich Schiller University in Jena, Germany showed that once a woman reaches menopause her skin begins to age faster than a man's. The skin contains estrogen receptors, which helps explain why a woman's skin tends to get thin and more wrinkled so quickly once menopause begins. The presence of estrogens in the skin improves thickness and elasticity, the amount of moisture, and collagen content.

The researchers were working on a laser-based non-invasive way to assess skin health. Until their invention the only method was by taking a biopsy sample, which meant that a single area couldn't be examined for changes over time. In this trial, technicians used lasers to examine levels of collagen and elastin, two proteins that provide strength and elasticity in skin. The relative levels of the two substances in the second layer of skin make a good marker for damage caused by disease, aging, or exposure to toxins such as radiation from the sun.

Physicians who treat skin diseases such as eczema or scleroderma are particularly interested in being able to monitor the progress of treatment. Collagen and elastin are also involved in the formation of wrinkles, and it won't be long before cosmetic companies are using the process to test the effectiveness of their anti-wrinkle products.

There was a recent study which suggests that skin care and hair products containing certain plant oils can increase estrogen levels when applied topically. An endocrinologist, Dr. Clifford Bloch, near Denver, had treated numerous cases of gynecomastia (abnormal breast enlargement) in pre-pubescent boys since 1990. After doing a bit of medical detective work searching for the reason, he found the guilty party wasn't excess hormone production, but rather the use of products containing lavender and/or tea tree oil. All the boys apparently had been using soaps, hair gel, body wash, moisturizer, or colognes with these oils. When he instructed them to stop using the products their gynecomastia problems resolved within a few months. To better understand what was going on, Dr. Bloch contacted researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (a part of NIH). Their tests revealed that both oils mimic the actions of estrogen, and at the same time reduce the activity of male hormones or androgens. This suggests that these oils would show activity in young girls similar to that shown in boys. Women with estrogen-dependent cancers of the breast or female organs may want to curtail their use of such products. They certainly wouldn't want to be slathering products containing the oils on their skin regularly.

Also remember that a properly functioning thyroid gland is essential for healthy skin. In the winter time many people find they need to increase their use of lotions and creams to keep their skin from drying and cracking. Many times the underlying problem actually stems from an underactive thyroid. Circulation to the skin is greatly influenced by thyroid activity. Your thyroid also regulates the metabolism of the fat-soluble vitamins so desperately needed by the skin. It also produces hormones that allow your body to absorb glucose which is crucial since, unlike other tissues, your skin doesn't have the ability to store glucose.
[tags]Erase Facial Wrinkles, Collagen, Elastin[/tags]