If you’re nearing or over 50 and your skin is starting to look and feel different or age more rapidly, it may be more than standard aging. It may be a symptom of perimenopause. For some women, menopause skin changes are some of the first symptoms they notice. If not identified as perimenopause, it’s challenging to resolve your skin issues.
Let’s dive into some of the ways your skin and hair may change and how hormone replacement therapy (HRT), tailored skincare, and med spa treatments can help.
Quick Menopause FYI
Before we dive into potential aesthetic changes, let’s uncover what menopause is. The words perimenopause and menopause are often used interchangeably. However, this natural transition has 3 distinct phases.
- Phase 1 Perimenopause—this is the phase we most often refer to as menopause. It typically begins between the ages of 45 and 51; much later for some. Perimenopause begins when any of the 20+ perimenopause symptoms arise, including irregular menstrual cycles. We detail the top symptoms further below.
- Phase 2 Menopause—this phase doesn’t begin until you have gone a full 12 months without a menstrual cycle. In the meantime, you may go 6 or more months without a period. It takes an average of 7 years to transition from Phase 1 to Phase 2. Yes, you can still get pregnant in this phase.
- Phase 3 Postmenopause—once you hit a full 12 months without menstruating, you are in postmenopause. You remain in this phase for the remainder of your life. Your body will produce extremely low levels of estrogen and progesterone from here on out.
Lower estrogen levels in all 3 Phases increase your risk for osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, and skin issues. For this reason, many women turn to hormone replacement therapy. Hormone therapy can minimize most of the symptoms that accompany this natural transition, including minimizing menopause skin changes.
What Are The Symptoms of Perimenopause?
Irregular periods, hot flashes, insomnia, night sweats, and menopause belly are some of the more common perimenopause symptoms that may be on your radar. However, there are over 20 symptoms that may accompany perimenopause.
- Menopause belly/weight gain
- Anxiety and depression
- Brain fog/menopause brain
- Decreased immunity
- Decreased libido
- Decreased muscle mass
- Hot flashes
- Increased irritability
- Insomnia
- Insulin resistance
- Low energy
- Muscle and joint pain
- Nights sweats
- Vaginal dryness
- Thinning hair
- Menopause skin changes
What Are Common Menopause Skin Changes?
- Accelerated aging
- Acne
- Dry, dull, and rough skin
- Increased facial hair
- Itching and rashes
- Skin sensitivity
- Melasma/age spots
- Skin laxity
Let’s explore how these changes present themselves in perimenopause and what you can do to minimize your symptoms.
#1 Accelerated Aging
We all lose about 1% of our collagen production per year starting in our 20s. This decline accelerates during perimenopause, where collagen production will slow another 30% within the first 5 years. After the first 5 years, this decreases to a 2% loss per year.
Decreased collagen production accelerates aging, contributing to skin thinning, dry skin, accelerated fine lines and wrinkles, skin laxity, volume loss, and skin sagging. Bioidentical hormone therapy can minimize menopause skin changes. When combined with aesthetic treatments that boost collagen production, we can revitalize your skin.
Shifting to skincare products designed for mature skin is also advised. Particularly products containing:
- Glycolic acid
- Lactic acid
- Peptides
- Retinoids
- Vitamin C
- Hyaluronic acid
#2 Acne and Menopause
Whether you struggled with acne or not during puberty, fluctuating estrogen levels can lead to adult acne. Painful cystic acne is more common in this phase of life.
Menopausal acne won’t respond to the same skincare products as prepubescent acne. While utilizing products that contain salicylic acid is suggested, personalized skincare is essential. Visiting a dermatologist may be required to get cystic acne under control.
Aesthetic treatments such as PRP and Lumecca IPL can address acne scarring.
#3 Dry, Dull, and Rough Skin
One of the many roles that estrogen plays in the body is contributing to moisture retention and producing the oil (sebum) that keeps your skin hydrated. When you enter perimenopause, you may notice that your skin is dry, dull, or rough a week or so before you menstruate. As time goes on, your skin from head to toe may look and feel dry, dull, and rough all month long.
This loss of hydration can intensify existing wrinkles.
These tips can help:
- Use glycolic acid or lactic acid exfoliators 2 to 3 days per week.
- Gently exfoliate your whole body 2 to 3 days per week.
- Use a facial serum or moisturizer with hyaluronic acid.
- Use a facial moisturizer with ceramides to lock in moisture.
- Consider layering skincare oil over your facial moisturizer.
- Switch to a thicker and fragrance-free body butter or body lotion.
- Hydrate from the inside out with water and hydrating foods.
#4 Increased Facial Hair
Menopause skin changes aren’t likely to be your only aesthetic concern. Although estrogen and progesterone levels drop during perimenopause, testosterone levels stay pretty much the same. This can lead to an increase in upper lip, chin, and facial hair. This hair may also feel dry and coarse.
HRT may minimize unwanted hair growth. You may also turn to new methods of at-home hair removal, laser hair removal, waxing, threading, and other long-lasting hair removal options.
While you may grow more hair on your face, fluctuating hormones can cause hair follicles on your head to shrink. This can lead to thinning hair and balding in both men and women. Again, we suggest hormone replacement therapy. We may also tailor your hair loss treatment to include platelet-rich plasma injections and Nutrafol supplementation.
#5 Itchy Skin, Rashes, and Sensitive Skin
While not related to menopause, your skin’s pH level gradually becomes more acidic with age. This impacts both men and women. Acidity can leave your skin itchy, irritated, and more sensitive than before. If your skin is already sensitive or you have preexisting eczema or rosacea, your symptoms may increase in or around your 50s. When combined with the dryness that accompanies menopause, this increases the risk of rashes and slower-than-usual wound healing.
Minimize these symptoms by:
- Adding more alkalizing foods to your diet to balance internal pH levels.
- Switching to products designed for sensitive and/or mature skin.
- Switching to fragrance-free moisturizers or products formulated with natural essential oils.
- Supporting wound healing by applying a bandage and ointment to even minor cuts and abrasions.
- Seeking medical attention if a cut or abrasion is increasingly red or irritated or isn’t healing on its own.
#6 Hyperpigmentation
Also referred to as melasma, sunspots, liver spots, and age spots, you may notice that scarring is darker and fades slower. You may also develop freckle-like sunspots as large as a pencil eraser on your face, neck, hands, and other areas of your body that are frequently exposed to sunlight.
Fluctuating hormones impact how skin heals, often leading to scars that are a few shades darker than they used to be. Sunspots are often associated with age, but you may also develop dark patches on your body, also caused by a combination of fluctuating hormones and UV exposure.
A proactive approach is the best approach, so continue using broad-spectrum UV protection year-round. Also, turn on the blue light filter on your electronic devices.
You can’t slow the increased melanin production that’s causing your hyperpigmentation, but you can address hyperpigmentation with topical products and Lumecca IPL.
#7 Skin Laxity
The combination of decreased collagen production, increased dryness, gravity, and natural aging contribute to skin laxity. Skin laxity is inevitable, but there are a variety of skin tightening treatments to explore. As an added bonus, the skin tightening treatments below boost collagen production to further minimize menopause skin changes.
Thread Lift
Facial threads are ultra-thin surgical sutures strategically placed underneath the deep layers of the skin. Threads painlessly pull the skin upward or in the desired direction to address the skin laxity that accompanies aging.
Threads can be used on:
- Nasal labial folds
- Drooping jowls
- Marionette lines
- Overall signs of aging on cheeks and chin
- In some instances, on the arms, legs, and abdomen
Forma Facial
The Forma Skin Tightening Facial is an advanced skincare treatment that utilizes pain-free radio frequency to promote the regrowth of collagen.
Forma can be used to tighten skin on the:
- Nasolabial folds
- Crow’s feet
- Jowls
- Neck
- Forehead
Morpheus8
Morpheus8 combines radiofrequency and microneedling technology to contour, tighten, and resurface skin. Unlike some aesthetic treatments, Morpheus8 can be used on the face and body. We can use Pro-Nox during your treatment. It wears off fast, so you can still drive yourself home.
Morpheus8 can be used to tighten skin on the:
- Face
- Jaw
- Neck
- Arms
- Abdomen
- Back
- Labia
- Legs
- Hands, feet, & armpits to treat hyperhidrosis
What Is HRT and How Does It Help Menopause Skin Changes?
Now that you understand how menopause may impact your skin and hair, you may want to learn more about HRT therapy. There are two primary types of hormone therapy, traditional and bioidentical. Both are designed to restore your hormones to their ideal levels. Valley Medical Weight Loss and Med Spa offers bioidentical hormone therapy.
- Traditional—these are lab-made pills, patches, and creams formulated from synthetic ingredients. This includes contraceptives, but it also includes replacement hormones.
- Bioidentical—these are plant-derived pellets and creams that are chemically identical to those in your body. Creams are applied topically, and pellets are inserted in the hip region under the skin.
Want to Learn More About HRT?
If you live in or around Phoenix, Glendale, or Tempe and want to determine if HRT is right for you—schedule a hormone level test at Valley Medical Weight Loss and Med Spa.
If your lab results identify that your estrogen levels have decreased, we can assess if you’re eligible for bioidentical hormone therapy. We can also explore tailored aesthetic treatments to address your menopause skin changes.
Schedule your appointment today!
*NOTICE*
*While widely accepted, the FDA has not approved the use of bioidentical hormones and they have not been scientifically proven to be more effective than traditional hormones. The reasoning behind choosing bioidentical options is that your body may respond better (more naturally) to hormones derived from a plant-based source.
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