One of the most frustrating hurdles to deal with as a skin care professional, whether new or veteran is understanding and educating clients on their skin conditions that are caused by hormonal imbalances. For clients who have given years to understand why they keep breaking out or are dealing with pigmentation without resolution, it can be discouraging. As a student or new professional, having an understanding of how the fluctuation of hormones and different types of hormones impact skin is crucial. If you aren’t seeing the results both you and your client want, it isn’t necessarily something you are doing wrong; after all, you can’t fight biology. 

Skin care professionals’ goal is to guide clients to find the best solution and help. Whether it is something to balance their hormonal acne, lighten their hormone-influenced pigmentation, or keep their collagen levels healthy, professionals need to see things that may not be in plain sight. We must ask questions about personal matters, such as health history and medications, and make clients feel comfortable at all times sharing such personal matters. 

THE BODY’S GUIDE

Hormones are chemical messengers within every part of the body that are responsible for, or have a direct impact on, most functions within the body, including metabolism and energy levels, how the immune system functions, and the growth and repair of cells. Although there is an abundance of hormones in the body, all which play a vital role in the day-to-day functioning of everything that keeps the body moving and healthy, the key hormones that tend to contribute to skin issues are estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. 

It is important to remember and recognize the good that these hormones do for the human body, like keeping skin soft, supple, and balanced. A drop or disruption of any of these hormones can impact the condition of skin by affecting the oiliness, dryness, pigment, and a variety of other conditions. 

Andrea Gregaydis is a licensed aesthetician and international CIDESCO diplomat. She holds multiple additional licenses as a New York state instructor and nail technician, as well as certified laser technician. Gregaydis is the lead instructor at the Aesthetic Science Institute and has over 10 years of experience as a practitioner, team coordinator, and role model for hundreds of future skin care professionals. She is contributing author to top industry trade magazines, as well as a speaker at various aesthetics conferences across the United States. She is also a CIDESCO International Examiner.