Discover how to treat skin changes during menopause

KNOWING what to expect from menopause can help you prepare for it.

 

While some skin changes during menopause are inevitable, adapting your beauty routine can help minimise the overall effects.

1. Why does menopause affect skin?

Menopause causes changes in your body. During perimenopause, production of estrogen – the “female hormone” – decreases.

 

Estrogen stimulates collagen, the protein that gives skin its elasticity and keeps it healthy.

 

As estrogen declines, less collagen is produced.

 

This is responsible for a number of the menopausal skin problems women experience.

2. What menopause skin changes to expect

Most skin changes are minor and unlikely to make a difference to your daily life, others can be more challenging.

 

Here we go through the main changes to expect and what you can do to minimise their effects.

 

Dry skin – As well as controlling collagen levels, estrogen stimulates the production of oils that keep your skin moisturised.

 

This lack of moisture can dry out your skin, causing itchiness.

 

What can you do? – Combat dry skin by having warm showers instead of hot.

 

Wearing protective gloves in cold weather or even when sleeping can help the skin on your hands.

 

Moisturise damp skin to revitalise dry skin.

 

Wrinkles – Wrinkles are one of the most familiar signs of aging.

 

They are caused by a decrease in natural oils in your skin.

 

The fat in the deeper layers of skin starts to sag, leaving skin looser.

 

This looseness causes a wrinkled appearance.

 

What can you do? – Every person will get wrinkles as they age.

 

It is perfectly natural, and rarely a cause for medical concern.

 

There are plenty of product available to smooth the appearance of wrinkles.

 

Retinoids are derivatives of vitamin A and have antioxidant properties that can help reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

 

Ensure your diet features plenty of vitamin A to keep your skin looking healthy.

 

Adult acne – This is common among menopausal women due to the changes in hormone levels.

 

Adult acne can also be caused by stress.

 

The body produces androgens (a hormone found in men and women) in stressful times.

 

Androgens stimulate the oil glands, increasing the likelihood of acne.

 

What can you do? – Retinoids can also help to combat adult acne.

 

They remove dead skin cells, essentially exfoliating your skin.

 

Try to maintain a balanced diet and remember to take time out for yourself – stress is another key cause of acne.

 

Hair loss – As well as adult acne, hormonal changes during menopause can cause hair loss.

 

Menopause lowers estrogen and progesterone levels.

 

These hormones help hair grow and last longer, so their declining production can cause hair to thin.

 

The decrease of these hormones also increases the production of androgens (the hormones that increase oil production).

 

Androgens shrink the hair follicles, causing hair loss.

 

Hair loss can also be a sign of a thyroid issue so it’s worth checking with your doctor.

 

What can you do? – Hair loss relating to hormonal changes is temporary, but that may not stop you from feeling self-conscious.

 

If your hair is thinning dramatically, or coming out in clumps, you should visit your doctor.

 

Your doctor can investigate the cause and prescribe appropriate treatment.

 

Hair growth – Some women also experience growth of facial hair, usually on the chin.

 

There is no clear reason as to why this happens, but it could be from fluctuating hormonal levels.

 

What can you do? – If you notice hair growing around your face, neck and chin, consult your doctor.

 

Your doctor should be able to run a test to check your hormone levels and find out what’s happening.

 

There are, of course, many easy ways to remove unwanted facial hair.

 

Home methods such as shaving, waxing and plucking work well.

 

For long term treatment, you could consider laser removal.

3. Embracing menopause

Menopause is a natural process that all women go through.

 

While some symptoms may seem difficult to cope with at first, simply looking after yourself and your skin will help you to take menopause in your stride.

Menopause can cause skin thinning and elasticity loss.

 

Here is how to care for thin skin.

Thin and inelastic skin is a natural part of aging for men and women.

 

For mature women, it can also be a sign of menopause.

 

Skin thinning

Estrogen is a hormone that, among other things, increases blood flow through capillaries in the skin.

 

During perimenopause (the period of time before menopause) estrogen levels decline.

 

This decreases blood flow through the dermal capillaries in the skin.

 

Decreased blood flow means that fewer nutrients are able to reach the skin’s surface.

 

As well as slowing the cell turnover rate, this results in a thinning of the epidermis (the outer layer of skin).

 

Inelastic skin

The decrease in estrogen production during menopause also causes a loss of skin elasticity.

 

It is estimated that your skin loses 0,55 percent of its elasticity every year after menopause.

 

What does collagen do?

Collagen is a protein that helps strengthen skin.

 

As you age, collagen and other elastin proteins experience an internal reaction in the body.

 

This results in the cross-linking of protein fibres, one of the primary causes of wrinkles.

 

Protecting inelastic and thin skin

Thin and inelastic skin needs extra care as it is more prone to bruises and tearing.

 

Here are a few ways you can prevent everyday skin damage.

 

Avoid sun exposure – Sun exposure is damaging to any skin type, especially older skin.

 

If you spend a lot of time in the sun, cover your arms and wear a wide-brimmed hat.

 

Make sure you apply sunscreen of at least SPF 15 and reapply often so you are always protected.

 

Take Vitamin A – Also known as retinol, Vitamin A helps keep the skin healthy.

 

It acts as an antioxidant, preventing damage from free radicals, which break down skin cells and cause wrinkles.

 

You can add vitamin A to your diet by eating eggs, dairy products, yellow vegetables and carrots.

Moisturise – As you age, your skin becomes drier, as well as thinner.

 

Moisturisers replenish and hold water in the outer layer of skin so your skin feels soft.

Taking care of your skin

Coping with skin changes during menopause can be made easier.

 

Staying protected from the sun, moisturising regularly and maintaining a balanced diet can help you and your skin handle menopausal changes with ease. – Online.