Low Progesterone and DHEA Drive Psoriasis
Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health
Briana Mercola
4.6 • 1.6K Ratings
🗓️ 26 January 2026
⏱️ 9 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
- Women with psoriasis consistently show lower progesterone and DHEA, two hormones that normally quiet inflammation, making flare-ups stronger and more frequent
- Estrogen dominance — where estrogen feels too strong relative to progesterone — heightens immune reactivity and explains why symptoms worsen before your period, after childbirth and during menopause
- Intracellular estrogen, not blood estrogen, drives inflammation in psoriatic skin, which is why your labs can look "normal" even when your symptoms intensify
- Long-term hormone replacement therapy increases psoriasis risk by overstimulating inflammatory pathways, especially in post-menopausal women whose hormones are already shifting
- You can ease flare patterns by supporting progesterone and DHEA, eliminating estrogen-mimicking triggers, avoiding seed oils, optimizing vitamin D and reducing stress-related hormonal strain
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Do your psoriasis flares intensify before your period, after childbirth, or as you move through |
| 0:05.8 | menopause, and do your lab tests still come back normal? |
| 0:10.6 | Welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom. Stay informed with quick, easy-to-listen summaries |
| 0:15.5 | of our latest articles, perfect for when you're on the go. No reading required. Subscribe |
| 0:20.1 | for free at Mercola.com for the latest health insights. |
| 0:23.6 | Hello, and welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom. |
| 0:26.9 | I'm Ethan Foster. |
| 0:28.2 | Today we're examining how shifts in progesterone, D-H-E-A, and estrogen balance help explain why your skin erupts, |
| 0:36.5 | your sleep and energy falter, and your symptoms |
| 0:39.1 | spike at predictable moments in your life. I'm Alara Sky. We're going to walk you through new |
| 0:44.9 | evidence showing that lower progesterone and lower D-H-E-A, two hormones that usually quiet inflammation, |
| 0:52.3 | track closely with stronger, more frequent psoriasis |
| 0:55.2 | flare-ups. You'll also hear how pregnancy, postpartum changes, and hormone therapy reshape your |
| 1:01.1 | risk and what practical steps can help you steady symptoms. |
| 1:05.5 | A large analysis in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology compared 21,008 women and found a consistent |
| 1:12.9 | pattern. Those with psoriasis had significantly lower progesterone and lower D-H-E-A, while estradiol |
| 1:20.0 | and testosterone were nearly the same as controls. Progesterone averaged 7.59 nanograms per |
| 1:26.8 | milliliter in the psoriasis group versus 9.4 nanograms per |
| 1:31.6 | in controls, N-D-H-E-A, averaged 144.9 micrograms per deciliter versus 150.7 micrograms per decilator. |
| 1:43.7 | Those are modest differences that signal bigger immune consequences. |
| 1:47.7 | Progesterone helps temper inflammatory immune cells. |
| 1:51.3 | When it dips, your immune system becomes more reactive and your skin responds with faster |
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