How Biological Sex May Influence Skin Healing

You Should Know: Listing all of the differences between men’s and women’s behavior (both actually and stereotypically) would take a week, but here’s one you probably didn’t know: Male and female skin cells also act differently, according to a new study from researchers in Belgium and England.

Going Deeper: The researchers microscopically filmed skin cells in living mice for five months. The cells didn’t function the way in males and females: While the female skin cells worked in a coordinated, collaborative way, the male skin cells did not, tending instead to behave independently. (Surprise, surprise.) “Sister” skin cells in the female mice synchronized their actions, which led to wounds on female mice healing significantly faster than wounds on male mice.

Takeaway: Even organs that have nothing to do with reproduction are influenced by sex hormones, including the skin. It appears testosterone helps regulate the rate at which skin cells mature, while estrogen drives the proliferation of skin cells. 

Bottom Line: This study was conducted on mice, not humans, but the findings may open possibilities for future treatments for skin and inflammatory conditions and better inform surgery recovery and wound healing.