The average age for a woman in the UK to go into menopause is around 51/52, this is a natural part of aging where your estrogen levels will decline. It is estimated the first 5 years of your menopause you lose about 30% of your skins collagen, after that it still declines but more gradually. The skin is rich in nerve endings and it contains a high number of receptors for estrogens, this is why when these hormones are missing the skin will begin to deteriorate. Many women in menopause will realise that they age quite dramatically and for some women this really does begin to bother them.
Menopause causes many changes to your skin. Your body stops making as much collagen. You lose some fat under your skin and your skin’s elasticity drops. That, combined with dryness caused by hormonal changes, can cause sagging especially around the neck and jawline. The lines and wrinkles you get with menopause are often crow’s feet and lines above the upper lip. Some ladies may develop acne breakouts showing around their jaw, mouth and chin or they can appear on the chest and back. The backs of your hands can lose moisture, collagen, and fat during menopause. That can make veins more obvious and skin more wrinkled. Plus, your skin can look see-through and bony.
Around the age of 50 your PH levels change in your skin which means your skin can become more sensitive and irritated and you may develop skin rashes. Some people will use the same skin products that they have been using since their early 20’s but as your skin changes so should your products. Menopause can present all kind of problems to you and your skin. Sometimes we need to get help and not struggle along with this on our own.
Fibroblasts which are cells in the dermis layer of our skin are involved in the production and maintenance of collagen and elastin, the activity of these are reduced which then causes the skin to become thinner and dry.
Hyper pigmentation- brown age spots become more visible during menopause this is again due to losing estrogen production. As well as your face age spots can appear on the back of your hands and chest. These areas can also lose moisture fat and collagen adding to the aging process.
I think now you have a little bit knowledge of what happens to your skin during menopause you now need to know what we can do to help and look after our skin during this time.
How can we help our skin?
Hyaluronic acid is very important for menopausal skin as it helps retain moisture giving it a plumper appearance. Retinols are also amazing in menopausal skin as they not only improve the appearance of lines and uneven pigmentation, but they also increase skin turnover making it appear more radiant. They can help increase collagen production which falls during and after the menopause. You need products with more ceramides, as a part of the skins natural barrier, ceramides help to prevent the epidermis, or the top layer of the skin, from losing moisture. When people experience dry skin, this is often because of a loss of ceramides in the skin, which can also cause itching, flaking, peeling and scaling. Ceramides strengthen the skin barrier. Peptides work in different ways but generally they help to increase skin thickness and elasticity, reduce wrinkles and increase collagen production.
With that all said it would be good to have a skin consultation to find out what product would be best for you and your skin, we will do another write up on retinols at a later date as these need to be introduced to your skin regime gradually.
The new Hyla3D by Jan Marini face cream and face serum is our recommendation see the products on our Derma Revive Skincare Ltd website. Perfect as a proactive moisturiser.
