Hormones are the chemical messengers of the body, effecting every physiological function, including energy production, immunity, digestive function, mood, hair growth, as well as the health and integrity of the skin matrix. Imbalanced hormones can lead to various types of skin conditions, such as the development of acne, wrinkles and even the formation of cellulite.
Although cellulite is often considered a natural part of the aging process in the female organism, like wrinkles and other signs of skin aging, cellulite is something that can be regulated and either exacerbated or minimized depending on a persons hormonal environment.
Though all hormones effect one another, and ultimately every hormone must be considered, estrogen may be one of the most important ones responsible for the initiation and development of cellulite. In addition to estrogen, there are other hormones involved in the pathogenesis of cellulite like insulin, cortisol, adrenaline, noradrenaline, parathyroid hormones, and prolactin, which participate in the development of cellulite as well.
How Elevated Estrogen Causes Cellulite & Destruction To The Skin
In humans, it has been found that the aforementioned hormones (most of which are elevated in hypothyroid and stress) can cause negative structural and functional changes that attribute to skin aging are more visibly evident in signs of cellulite.
Estrogen is a necessary hormone, but must be tightly regulated by the inhibitory hormone progesterone. Under a progesterone deficiency, which is the primary anti-stress hormone, estrogen elevates. Despite the suggestions of backwards modern “science”, the low progesterone and high estrogen concentration accompanied by stress and aging are responsible for increased vascular permeability and decreased vascular tone leading to microcirculation impairment; two dominant predisposing factors in the development of cellulite.
Additionally, elevated estrogen can cause connective tissue to atrophy in two primary ways. First, estrogen stimulates the production of the enzyme hyaluronidase, which breaks down hyaluronic acid, an important building block of elastin (required for youthful, elastic skin). Secondly, estrogen stimulates cortisol production by way of the pituitary, which results in a decreased production and topical content of both type I and III collagen and elastin fibers. These factors combined contributes to the weak, inelastic skin matrix that is required for cellulite formation. Cellulite is basically a condition of weak skin that allows adipose tissue (fat) to “bulge” through the skin matrix.
A Deeper Look at Estrogen and Cellulite
To provide further evidence of the contributing roles of estrogen to cellulite, consider the fact that men do not get cellulite (as commonly) as women. This has to do with estrogen. Women have significantly higher levels of estrogens than most men and contrary to mainstream science, estrogen elevates with the age. In fact, estrogen not only rises during the stress of aging, but during any form of acute or chronic stress. And although men can experience the revenges of estrogen dominance and therefore some cellulite, women naturally have much more estrogen and therefore more cellulite.
Perhaps the basic reason why women have more estrogen is due to its important roles in pregnancy. Throughout pregnancy, estrogen elevates and decreases. In the initial stages of pregnancy, estrogen increases to cause rapid cellular division and growth. It calms down during the second trimester as progesterone levels peak. Then, again in the third trimester, estrogen elevates very high to prepare the body for birth. As mentioned, estrogen can be catabolic and atrophy cartilage and collagen. Nearing the end of the third trimester, at the time of delivery, there is a sudden surge of estrogen that works to breakdown the collagen in the cervix to allow the passage of the baby. This is very helpful and necessary for a healthy pregnancy; however, it doesn’t remove the fact that estrogen is very much a catabolic stress hormone.
Pregnancy and giving birth is one of the most courageous and selfless acts in human existence, considering the mother quite literally sacrifices parts of her own body to make way for a new one. Considering estrogens roles in pregnancy and its effects on tissue physiology, it is clear to see how a chronic elevation in estrogen throughout one’s life can deteriorate the skin and contribute to not just cellulite but wrinkling, varicose veins and more.
To recap, here is a step-by-step of how estrogen leads to cellulite:
- Estrogen elevates with stress and aging.
- As estrogen elevates it stimulates catabolic substances such as cortisol, hyaluronidase and collagenase, all which catalyze the degradation of the skin matrix causing both elastin and collagen to break down – this starts the cycle of cellulite formation.
- Estrogen causes vascular permeability and cell “leakiness”.
- A combined deficiency of elastin, deranged collagen synthesis and leaky cells, results in a skin matrix that is weak and cells that “leak” fat and escape the tightly formed skin matrix and instead appears on the skin surface.
- Overtime, estrogen dominance slows down the metabolism by interfering with thyroid function, and this causes the fat cells to hypotrophy (grow), while also stimulating preadipocytes to develop to form new adipocytes (fat cells).
- Estrogen further stimulates the preadipocytes to form new adipocytes and the more fat you have, the more the estrogen you tend to have since fat stimulates the ovaries and adrenals to secrete more of it, but it also increases the amortization of androgens into estrogen. This creates a vicious cycle between excessive estrogen and fat accumulation.
- Estrogen increases the response of fat cells to anti-lipolytic alpha receptors (preventing fat breakdown and loss) and stimulates an enzyme called lipoprotein lipase (LPL), which leads to fat growth – this occurs mostly in the thighs and butt.
Other Hormones Involved in Cellulite
Estrogen isn’t the only hormone that contributes to cellulite. Prolactin is another hormone that is elevated in men and women with cellulite. It is referred to as the “nursing hormone”, as it is necessary for the production of milk and lactation. However, this hormone in excess can be detrimental to the health of the skin and is the true culprit behind hair loss. In essence, prolactin is very inflammatory and contributes to AGEs (advanced glycated end products), which also contributes to the breakdown of collagen.
Excess estrogens and prolactin usually go hand in hand since estrogen stimulates prolactin. So while estrogens start the cellulite process, prolactin worsens it. Prolactin can make cellulite more visible because it increases water retention in the fatty tissue, which leads to the visible growth of the cell, resulting in a more ‘lumpy’ appearance.
Additionally, prolactin slows the metabolism by inhibiting dopamine and thyroid hormone production, which impairs the body’s ability to metabolize glucose, which can result in causes it to store as fat. This results in an increase of free fatty acids, and estrogen, causing more metabolic stress, which in turn further increases stress hormone production, inflammation and the degeneration of the skin.
Furthermore, elevated levels of prolactin reduces testosterone and progesterone by interfering with their secretion and synthesis. Both of these hormones are important for keeping a high rate of metabolism and preventing the storage of fat. If these hormones decrease, fat accumulates more easily, making cellulite even more visible.
Insulin is also implicated in cellulite, which suggests that cellulite may be worse or better in proportion to metabolic function. Each of the hormones associated with cellulite tend to be elevated under hypothyroidism and metabolic stress, this includes not just estrogen, cortisol and prolactin, but also insulin.
Women who are insulin resistant are usually also estrogen dominant, and hypothyroid. Insulin is usually high when a person has a poor ability to oxidize glucose (they don’t metabolize sugar well), which indicates either high free fatty acids, estrogen and cortisol, all which inhibit the cellular uptake of glucose, or low thyroid function. which drives glucose and oxygen into the cell. According to research, women who are insulin–resistant, estrogen-dominant, and hypothyroid or eat a diet rich in polyunsaturated fats are more prone to cellulite formation. 1
WHAT TO DO
The cure to cellulite is to treat the cause(s). This means the best approach is going to be a systematic one, which would ultimately involve the restoration of metabolic function, balancing the hormones (especially estrogen dominance) and optimizing thyroid function.
The hormones associated with cellulite as key players in the “sickness field” – so whether a person is dealing with obesity, diabetes, cancer, early aging, fertility issues or any other “sickness” there are usually a few key, biological players involved. Therefore, the remedy – to be overly simple – would be very simply, to be healthy. In other words, there is disease and there is wellness; most health problems are just a symptom of disease, and there is a specific biological make up one wants to be in to be well.
That being said, here are a few things to do to not only improve or cure cellulite, but to improve your metabolic function and overall health:
- Optimize Liver Function: Estrogens and most other hormones are metabolized by the liver. The liver produces enzymes that solubilizes estrogens and other toxins to become hydrophilic (water soluble), which are then eliminated through the kidneys and colon via process known as glucuronidation. If your liver is impaired via any form of stress, you will always suffer from hypothyroid and high estrogen. Some simple things you can do to improve the health of the liver would be to first and foremost stop abusing it. This means to disengage from partaking in the consumption of toxic agents and behaviors such as drugs, alcohol, junk food (PUFA), chronic emotional stress, sleep deprivation, etc. Beyond that, things that are helpful to the liver include vitamin A (retinol), vitamin E, apigenin, gelatin (glycine), aspirin and laughter.
- Avoid PUFAs: Polyunsaturated fats increase estrogen in the body. These two ubiquitous carcinogenic factors closely interact with each other, and there are many ways in which they can be modulated. PUFA increase the activity and available of free estrogens from the serum proteins in tissue cells. To learn more about PUFA and what you can do, read this earlier blog.
- Supplement with Progesterone: Unlike estrogen, progesterone is very beneficial to the skin, topical progesterones have been shown to influence skin thickness by stimulating collagen synthesis, maturation and turnover in study. Estrogen administration increases hyaluronic acid synthesis by 70%, leading to increased dermal water content, which means smoother more hydrated skin. Progesterone also promotes reduces wound size and stimulates matrix deposition in both human and murine skin. Further more, it provides some protection against photo aging and increases skin elasticity and collagen synthesis, which restores the youthful appearance of the skin.
- Try Topical Caffeine & Methylene Blue: Studies find that topical caffeine is an effective treatment for cellulite. It works by reducing tissue-bound estrogen, improving oxygenation and local fat metabolism. Another ingredient that may help with cellulite is methylene blue, which greatly improves cellular respiration in the tissues. This means it helps your tissues more efficiently use and consume oxygen. Why this is helpful for cellulite is because estrogen can deprive the skin tissue of oxygen. This leads to hypoxia and oxidative stress, which causes the skin to lose its tone and potentially develop cellulite. Improving skin tissue oxygenation is a key goal for treating cellulite and aged skin. This will be best achieved through treating your thyroid, which regulates cellular respiration. We suggest trying our best-selling thyroid supplement Thyro+ or checking our our Perfect Thyroid course. However, we also suggest trying topical caffeine and methylene blue. You can find these as key ingredients in our anti-cellulite body butter SILK, which works to reduce cellulite in numerous ways. 2
SILK
SILK is a uniquely formulated, high-end skin perfecting “body butter”, with organic, grass-fed ghee from small local farms and other therapeutic ingredients. The feature ingredients have physiological mechanisms that have been shown in clinical studies and to reduce cellulite, stretch marks and scars. We formulated it to support the skin of mama’s postpartum, but is generally safe for skin types of all kinds.
