Intracrinology and the Skin

The 2000 study explored the effects of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on the skin, finding that it stimulates sebaceous gland activity in an androgenic manner, which was confirmed by the blocking of these effects by an antiandrogen but not by an antiestrogen. The study, which used ovariectomized female Sprague-Dawley rats over periods of 3, 6, or 12 months, showed that DHEA increased the number and size of sebaceous glands. It also suggested that DHEA could be used as hormone replacement therapy for postmenopausal women, as it exerted an estrogenic effect in the vagina without affecting the endometrial epithelium. The document also discussed the potential for developing local inhibitors to treat skin conditions like acne and hirsutism by blocking the conversion of DHEA into more potent androgens, a process facilitated by enzymes present in the skin.