Sanjay Kapur
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Clin Exp Dermatol Res
Skin health is a major concern, especially in ageing women. It is no coincidence that the decline in hormone levels as people age parallels the decline in skin properties frequently associated with ageing. Hormones are intrinsically involved with processes affecting the maintenance of skin health, such as collagen content, skin lipid levels, elasticity, wound healing, glycoaminoglycan content, and facial hair patterns. This program addresses the importance of hormones in skin wellness, but also cautions women and men seeking to reverse skin deterioration by using hormone replacement. Hormonal deficiencies can be identified with minimally invasive laboratory testing and treated with hormones replacement to improve overall health and wellness as well as to mitigate the effects of ageing. However, hormones replacement should be done with appropriate monitoring to ensure physiological hormone levels are achieved. The irresponsible use of topical or systemic hormones for cosmetic purposes cannot be recommended, and it is important to understand the powerful effects of hormones throughout the body. The cosmetic and anti-ageing industry is big business. Yet a major culprit for the skin thinning, wrinkling, and dryness associated with ageing is the decline in hormones such as estrogen and progesterone in women, and testosterone in men. This program examines the relationship between hormones and skin properties and explores the effects of hormone replacement on some of the skin problems associated with hormonal decline. While hormone replacement cannot be recommended solely for cosmetic purposes, proper monitoring of hormone levels in an ageing population can help identify deficiencies that can be resolved with judicious hormone use, which may have the added benefit of improving skin wellness and thereby saving substantial costs in cosmetic treatments. The skin is one of the main targets of estrogen action. Facial skin on the face expresses much higher concentrations of estrogen receptors than the skin of the breast or the thigh. The menopausal decline in estrogen levels contributes to deterioration in skin health in a number of ways: These include wrinkling, dryness, thinning, reduced collagen content, slower wound healing, and loss of elasticity. Obese men and women often have improved skin health due to higher estrogen levels as a result of increased aromatase activity in fat and skin tissue. Studies of estrogen replacement therapy have shown some improvement in those skin properties affected by low estrogen levels, e.g. increased collagen content, skin thickness, and skin elasticity. HRT has also been found to increase skin surface lipids, which enhances the barrier function and may prevent dryness.
Sanjay Kapur, Scientific Director at ZRT Laboratory in Beaverton, Oregon has strong interests in development of new anti-aging testing methodologies and innovative laboratory procedures and conducts research into new applications of clinical laboratory testing at ZRT. He has extensive experience in hormone research and has served in several lead positions directing large research studies involving development of novel laboratory tests and technologies related to diabetes, cancer, obesity, and heart disease and hormonal imbalance. In addition to being the Founder Chairman of an Indian Anti-Aging Society (SRAAMI), he serves on Editorial and Scientific Boards of many scientific journals and International Associations. He is a renowned speaker on anti aging and hormone health and wellness at national and international medical conferences.
