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Menopause Skin Changes - WHY, oh why!?
Menopause skin changes are an inevitable part of ageing, but WOW, are they annoying!! I don’t know about you, but my menopause skin changes started when I became peri-menopausal – and they came as a bit of a bolt out of the blue! Obviously, I’m pretty clued up on the skin, and how this incredible organ works – but I wasn’t prepared for how quickly my skin changed, as I moved into menopause.
In this blog, we will look at the menopause skin changes that many of us experience, why they happen, and what you can do about it. So, whilst it’s frustrating, the good news is that there are lots of things you can do, to improve your skin and minimise those changes.
Whether I am working with you to improve your skin concerns, or scars, I always adopt an ‘inside out and outside in’ approach. The Nutritional Therapist in me wouldn’t have it any other way! You can learn about the different factors that affect your skin, by downloading my Ultimate Skin Guide and Ultimate Scar Guide, via the button below.
Why does our skin change during menopause?
Menopause skin changes are caused as our levels of oestrogen and progesterone levels decline in our body. As a result, collagen and elastin levels decline rapidly – and these are essential for the plumpness and elasticity of our skin. The result of this decline in collagen and elastin, will show up as lines & wrinkles, and sagging skin, sensitivity and some of use will experience acne, rosacea, or an exacerbation of existing skin conditions, like eczema.
Our skin also becomes thinner, and our natural lipid levels in our skin drops, causing skin to feel dry, tight and sensitive. Throw in UV exposure, and we’ve got the increased damage from UV rays, on top of skin that is already weaker and unable to repair and recover in the same way. At the same time, our androgen levels, such as testosterone, stay stable – which can increase sebum production and cause acne breakouts.
There’s a lot going on, isn’t there! Lets look at some of the visible signs you might be experiencing.
Signs of menopausal skin changes
- Dry, tight skin
- Increased lines & wrinkles
- Saggy skin
- Loss of volume
- Loss of elasticity
- Itching skin
- Skin rashes
- Sensitive skin
- Dull skin
- Saggy skin around the neck
- Thinning skin
- Increased hair on your face
- Rosacea, or increased flusing
- Worsening of conditions such as psoriasis or eczema
- Acne/break outs
That’s a LOT of potential menopause skin changes, isn’t it! And we will all have different experiences and symptoms, because we are all unique. It can be helpful to ask your mother and grandmothers what they experienced, as there is research to show this can play a part in what we experience. However, given that our lifestyles are so different now, I personally don’t think that it’s as straightforward as that – as our lifestyles play a HUGE part in our hormone balance.
You will have heard me talk about stress a LOT, because cortisol, our stress hormone plays havoc with our skin. Lack of sleep means our skin can’t repair fully, and eating a diet high in sugar increase glycation – which is where the collagen fibers in our skin become brittle and dry, and increase visible lines and wrinkles (often in a criss-cross pattern).
Looking after your skin from the inside out, and outside in is the only way to TRULY get your best possible skin. You’ll find lots of advice in my Ultimate Skin Guide, that will help. (click on the button at the start of this blog to download).
I know this list of menopause skin changes is depressing, but firstly – you won’t experience ALL of them, and secondly – there’s lots of things you can do to support your skin and combat these pesky signs of ageing!
Menopause Skincare - My top 5 Tips
Firstly, if someone tells you that you can ‘fix’ your menopause skin concerns with skincare alone, they are wrong, or not being honest with you. Honestly, no products in the world are THAT good, although many claim to be.
Your skin is the largest organ of your body, and reflects everything that goes on internally, as well as what’ happening from the outside in.
If we’re working together to transform your skin, we will always look at internal and external factors that affect your skin. And, combining some simple lifestyle changes, nutrition, targeted skin care, and appropriate treatments, you can get incredible results. But, focusing on one area alone, won’t give you the best possible results that you want and deserve. Here are my Top 5 Tips to manage menopause skin changes;
- Look after your skin from the inside out, by eating a well balanced diet that is rich in food that can nourish your skin. ‘Eat the rainbow’ and eat as many different coloured fruit and vegetables as possible, and include oily fish, and/or nuts and seeds in your diet, to boost your natural lipid levels. You’ll find more nutrition advice in my Ultimate Skin Guide (click on the button at the top of the post). Cut down on sugar, as this contributes to lines & wrinkles.
- Take steps to reduce your stress levels, as high levels of cortisol, our natural stress hormone, wreaks havoc with our skin, and aside from UV exposure, is THE most common cause of premature ageing.
- Try and get 7-9 hours sleep a night. Your skin goes through important repair and regeneration at night. If you’re not getting sufficient sleep, your skin doesn’t have the chance to repair, and you’ll see signs of premature ageing progressing rapidly.
- Invest in a targeted and high grade skincare range, with powerful anti ageing ingredients, such as retinol, vitamin C, AHA’s, BHA’s, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid and of course, sunscreen!
- Consider treatments such as radiofrequency microneedling and HIFU. Both of these treatments are considered ‘non-surgical face-lift’ treatments, as they target the skin at the deeper level and naturally boost your collagen, elastin and hydration levels in your skin. Your body really is very clever, when it’s stimulated in the right way – it will automatically boost your own collagen production – helping to address those pesky signs of ageing, cause by menopause skin changes. It’s important, when you have a loss of collagen and elastin in your skin, to consider treatments that really boost these. This will help your skincare to be even more effective, as your collagen levels have been stimulated naturally, and products such as retinol, maximise this, by stimulating even more collagen, AND improving the quality of the collagen produced. And it’s worth mentioning that for many, radiofrequency microneedling and HIFU are great alternative to injectables!
RF Microneedling
When it comes to treating menopause skin changes, radiofrequency microneedling really is the superhero treatment, in my opinion! RF microneedling naturally stimulates your collagen and elastin levels, both with the microneedling element – and with the added boost from the thermal element of the radiofrequency.
This treatment addresses multiple menopause skin changes, naturally! And the results are long lasting, after your initial course of 3-6 treatments, you come back 2-4 times a year, to maintain the results. AMAZING!
This is my most popular aesthetics treatment in my clinic, in Alton, Hampshire. And it’s because it offers so many amazing benefits. When it’s combine with the lifestyle factors, nutrition, and AlumierMD skincare, the results truly are WOW. This is EXACTLY what I do to look after my own menopausal skin!
If you’re experiencing loss of volume, such as sagging jowls and ‘turkey neck’, then HIFU can be a powerful treatment to address this, and even more so alongside RFM. Here’s some benefits to consider…
Benefits of RF Microneedling
- Reduces lines & wrinkles
- Improves skin tone and texture
- tightens and lifts your skin
- Improves saggy jowls
- Improves sagging skin on your neck (turkey neck)
- Improves sun damage
- Boosts hydration
- Strengthen's your skin
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Creates glowing, youthful skin
HIFU is a fantastic treatment to have alongside RF Microneedling, as this treatment targets the deeper layers of the skin, so picks up where RF micrneedling leaves off. This powerful combination means your natural collagen and elastin levels are boosted in multiple layers of your skin, giving you the best possible results.
Menopause Skincare
Skincare plays an important role in supporting your skin through the peri menopause and menopause.
As we mature, our cell turnover slows down. In our 20’s, our cell turnover is approximately 28 days, and as we mature, it slows to around 50-60 days.
Medical grade skincare, such as AlumierMD helps to improve cell turnover, improve the quality and quantity of collagen and elastin, reduce pigmentation and protect your skin. It can also help to calm your skin, reduce inflammation, calm your skin, and protect it against UV damage.
Retinols, AHA’s and Vitamin C serums work wonders to support your skin for the long term, speeding up your cell turnover. And ingredients such as niacinamide is amazing at calming irritated skin and reducing redness.
The skincare products that are right for you, will depend on your specific skin type and concerns, but if you click on the button below, you’ll be able to read about my top 5 anti ageing skincare ingredients.
I'd love to help you
If you’re fed up with wasting money on treatments and products that don’t work, and you’re ready to improve your skin once and for all, then I’d love to be able to help you.
I hope that you’ve enjoyed my blog about menopause skin changes. I know first hand how upsetting experiences these can be. I’d love to be able to help you fall back in love with your skin, and to discover how you can look after your skin for the long term. My aim for you is Better Skin for Life! My aesthetics clinic is based in Alton, Hampshire. I am right on the Hampshire / Surrey border, and just 15 minutes from both Basingstoke and Farnham.
If you would like to book a no obligation Skin Consultation You can book your appointment via the button below. If there are no slots available, then please add yourself to the waiting list, or use the contact form, and we will be in touch when an appointment becomes available.
I look forward to hearing from you. Best, Nikki
