Characterization of Cutaneous Hormone Production Through Analysis of Skin Secretions
July 2022
in “
Journal of Investigative Dermatology
”
TLDR Skin produces different hormones depending on body part and sex, and a new method can measure them.
The study "Characterization of cutaneous hormone production through analysis of skin secretions" conducted an observational pilot study on 22 subjects (12 males and 10 females) to understand the hormonal composition produced by the skin. The researchers collected skin secretions from different body parts using Sebutape and analyzed them using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. They detected seven hormones and found variations based on the anatomical site and sex of the subjects. Notably, they observed significant elevations in dehydroepiandrosterone in the axilla and androstenedione on the forehead. The study concluded that the hormonal composition of skin secretions varies based on sex and anatomical site, and they have developed a reliable method to quantify these hormones.