HGH, or human growth hormone, is vital to the health of many organ systems, including the skin, the largest organ in the body. Because of this, problems with your skin may be signs of changes in your body. The cause may be as easy to fix as not getting enough water or staying out in the sun without sunscreen. Skin changes also come as a consequence of aging. On the other hand, problems with your skin may be signs of inadequate levels of hormones. These hormones include HGH.
Why Do Skin Changes Happen?
The skin has three levels, with the epidermis as the top level. This level contains five layers, though it’s not even two millimeters thick, depending on the area of the body. Beneath the epidermis is the dermis, which is full of connective tissue, sweat glands, nerves, and blood vessels. The bed beneath these layers is the hypodermis, which is full of fat and protects the bones and muscles.
The stratum corneum is the very top level of the epidermis, and it’s the skin that you can see. The very top level of the stratum corneum contains dead but strong and tightly packed cells that protect you from injury and disease. It also locks in moisture. These cells are shed constantly and replaced by new cells. However, with age and some disorders such as hormone imbalance, the cells are replaced less frequently. This leads to skin that can be thin, dry, red, and itchy. The capillaries beneath the epidermis, which have no blood vessels of their own, become visible. The skin also takes more time to heal from wounds. There’s also reduced blood flow to the living skin cells, and the collagen that makes skin springy and supple decreases.
Besides age and hormonal imbalance, other things that cause changes to the skin include:
- Exposure to the sun and other sources of ultraviolet radiation, such as tanning beds
- Smoking
- Heredity
- Dehydration
- Pollution
- Stress
How HGH Affects Skin
Human growth hormone is responsible for cell reproduction and regeneration as well as overall growth. HGH helps the skin stay hydrated and elastic and supports angiogenesis, or the creation of blood vessels. Blood vessels contribute to fast wound healing. Human growth hormone also tells the body to produce a hormone called IGF-1. This hormone, which is another type of growth hormone, is produced mostly in the liver. People who suffer from low levels of human growth hormone often see the signs in their skin. Their skin is dry and subject to irritation and redness. It doesn’t bounce back as readily from insults such as wounds or sunburn. Sometimes, a medical professional can help people suffering from the effects of low HGH with HGH injections. These injections not only improve the health of the skin but also restore the patient’s overall vitality.
Supporting the Skin From the Inside Out
Most people won’t need injections of human growth hormone to keep their skin healthy. There are many easy things you can do to keep skin supple and glowing even into old age. Here are a few of them.
- Eat a rainbow, as dietitians say. This means load up on colorful foods, especially colorful fruits and vegetables. These include green, leafy vegetables, carrots, bell peppers, and berries, including strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. Eat fatty, cold-water fish such as salmon and sardines, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids support the youthfulness of the skin.
- Don’t smoke. Ruining your skin is one of the many types of damage smoking does to the body.
- Use sunscreen. We couldn’t live without the sun, but too much sun exposure is dangerous. Make sure to use sunscreen if you’re going to be out and about, or cover up your skin as much as possible. This also applies to dark-skinned people.
- Drink plenty of clean, fresh water. Water keeps the cells of the body plump and able to do their job. This includes skin cells.
- Make sure to get enough sleep. Health professionals recommend about seven hours a night for adults. Naps are also good, but they shouldn’t last more than half an hour or so.
- Avoid stress. Stress is inevitable, but you should take up practices that keep it under control. Some people meditate, garden, drink herbal tea, listen to music, or read a good book before bed. Do whatever lowers your stress levels.
- If you do all of this and you’re still finding problems, either with your skin or other bodily systems, have a medical professional, such as an endocrinologist, check your hormone levels.
Is It More Than Just Dry Skin?
Everyone has times when their skin starts to “act up.” However, if your skin persists with symptoms of dryness, thinning out, redness, or itchiness, and those symptoms are joined by fatigue, sudden weight loss, or sudden weight gain, see a professional. The problem might lie with your hormone levels.
Conclusion
HGH is important for the health of your skin and your overall metabolism. Problems with this hormone might first show up as problems with your skin. If you believe low HGH might be the problem, see a health professional.
