Menopause & Skin
Oestrogen is a power house hormone. Every organ in our body has oestrogen receptors and the skin is no exception. Our skin is a large organ, and weighs about 15 kg. It has many functions, it does more than keep our bodies contained. It serves in our immune system, keeping bacteria out and has lots of immune cells responding to any pathogens that do get in. It has many nerve cells, allowing us to feel pressure, heat and cold. It has a temperature control function for our bodies, as well as producing vitamin D which is essential for healthy bones. Within the skin we have a number of types of skin cells, immune cells, blood vessels and nerves and they all have oestrogen receptors. It’s no wonder than fluctuating oestrogen levels of perimenopause and low oestrogen levels of menopause have an impact on our skin.
One of the most common symptoms of perimenopause is dry, itchy skin. This makes sense as oestrogen stimulates sebum, hyaluronic acid and ceramide production in the skin. Sebum is a natural grease, which helps reduce water loss form the skin. Hyaluronic acid is our body’s natural moisturiser and you will see it featuring in many aesthetic injectable treatments and moisturisers. It is produced in our dermal layer of our skin and here it helps to keep the skin plump and supple. Ceramides are proteins that act like the mortar in between the skin cells. A reduction in these natural greases leads to a reduction in the skin barrier function, the skin cycle slows down, skin becomes more dull and scaly, feels dry and itchy, and will often become more sensitive as the barrier function is weaker.Specific skin conditions such as rosacea can become more problematic with hot flushes, and acne can also have a hormonal component and can flare in menopause. Our hair and nails can also be affected by fluctuating oestrogen levels.
Skin care.
The reduced skin barrier function can lead to more sensitive skin. Often we try many different actives, cleansers, exfoliants, PHAs, BHAs, retinoids, and these products on a weaker skin barrier can cause more irritation, redness and dryness. We often need to change our skin care regime, but beware, you don’t need any products that claim to be for people of a certain age or “menopause” specific products. These often have a high price tag, and offer no additional specific treatments for menopausal skin. If a cream is good for dry skin, its good for men and women of all ages, so don’t be made to feel like you need the more expensive or specific products as none exist!
Ideally, you will want to be adding ceramides and proteins (amino acids) into your skin to build up the skin barrier. You will want to moisturise the skin well, and add a high factor SPF that has effects against UVA and UVB. Vitamin C is a great antioxidant and also essential in the production of collagen, so is always a great addition to any skin care regime. I am an expert in skin care and can help your specific skin concerns offering bespoke medical grade skin care recommendations and prescriptions.
The gender gap.
Men and women age equally until menopause, then women have an accelerated ageing process. Our collagen drops by 30% in the first 5 years after menopause. Not only the amount of collagen, but the quality of the collagen drops. Collagen is a protein that creates structure and support to the skin. It affects the elasticity of the skin too. There are many aesthetic treatments aimed at promoting collagen production. You can book a consultation to see which collagen banking treatment will work best for you.
How we can help.
Here I can support your skin through perimenopause and menopause. I am a BMS accredited advanced menopause specialist and also an aesthetic doctor, so have good idea about how menopause affects our health and skin. I have been treating the effects of menopause on the facial structures in her aesthetic clinic, and being a GP, my patients often talked about their menopause. I was surprised at what poor care they were often being given. This sparked my interest in training as a menopause specialist. I now work for the CQC registered clinic, The Clinic by La Ross, once per week offering holistic menopause appointments. These are one hour long to allow plenty of time to understand you needs and create a bespoke treatment plan. If you can’t make it to Rochester in person, I can see you for a remote video consultation.