How different hormones affect everything, from your skin to your sex drive

Looking back at my teenage years isn’t always easy. Like many of us, I experienced terrible acne, as well as awkward growth spurts and a two-year phase of what can only be described as pretty excessive sweating.

While we often assume hormones only come into play during milestones like puberty, pregnancy and menopause, they’re actually a fundamental part of our body’s natural processes throughout our entire lives, albeit a slightly less obvious (and less sweaty) part.

“Hormones are utterly fundamental to all systems of the body,” explains Dr Sohere Roked, specialist doctor in hormone and integrative medicine. “Despite misconceptions that hormonal imbalances are mostly prevalent only at the various life stages, it is vital to understand the more subtle hormone imbalances that take place throughout our lives.”

Hormonal deficiencies and imbalances can be the cause of a number of everyday ailments and concerns, from poor sleep, to a low sex drive, to excessive hunger, and they can occur at any age. “There are subtle hormone imbalances that begin as early as our late twenties when certain hormones can begin to wane,” explains Dr Roked. “Many women as early as their thirties show signs of hormonal imbalance affecting their period cycle, sex drive, energy, moods and weight.”

Understanding hormones a little better helps to shed light on what might be happening beneath the surface as well as start to address ways of improving our quality of life and overall wellness.

Here, we take a deep dive into the hormones you need to know about and the signs to look out for that there might be an imbalance…

Hormones that affect sleep

Melatonin is the primary hormone responsible for a good night’s sleep. It’s produced in the brain and is stimulated by lack of light, which is why we feel sleepy in the evenings and awake in the daytime. However, too much exposure to artificial light late at night can mess up this hormone response and mean we experience poor quality sleep or insomnia. As well as avoiding screen-time before bed, you can also take melatonin supplements, which contain a man-made version of the natural hormone; however, it should not be used as a long-term treatment.