Menopause & your skin

Large hormonal changes occur during the perimenopausal stage which has a significant impact on your body, including your skin. During the first five years of the perimenopause, women lose 30% of their collagen and elastin! This leads to thinner skin, increased wrinkles, dryness and skin sensitivity. Also if you have not protected your skin from the sun’s damaging UV rays over the years, this will increase the impact to your skin. As the levels of collagen and elastin decrease in our skin, so the skin barrier becomes less effective, and so preventing it from holding as much moisture as easily, causing dry and sensitive skin. How can I help my skin during menopause? It is never too late to start with a good skincare regimen. You can help support your skin and reduce the effects that these changing hormone levels have on your skin. Be kind to your skin - using plenty of hydrating moisturisers and serums high in hyaluornic acid which are gentle. Avoid products which can dry out the skin, such as those with alcohol or fragrance bases, or have a tendency to over-exfoliate your skin. Make sure you use a daily high factor sunscreen and Vitamin C serum or moisturiser to help reduce signs of ageing, pigmentation and also helps to boost the SPF properties. Collagen supplements, Vitamin D and Omega - 3 & 6 Supplements can all help to improve skin barrier function and reduce inflammation. Anti - oxidants through your diet are also highly encouraged…even an occasional glass of red wine can be beneficial. ​ Retinoids In addition to the steps above, Retinoids are a fantastic addition to your menopause skin care regimen. Retinoids help to boost your skin by encouraging faster turnover of surface skin cells and boosting collagen production. It also improves skin tone and reduces fine lines and wrinkles. A number of night moisturising creams contain retinoids in some form. One in particular which is formulated for menopausal skin is called Emepelle’s Night Cream and Serum, which is a non-hormonal cream, which has been shown to improve dryness, dullness, laxity and fine lines in menopausal skin. In clinic treatments ​ Bio-stimulating treatments such as Profhilo and other collagen boosting treatments such as Microneedling and Chemical peels are a fantastic way to help to support your skin through the menopause and help to slow the loss of collagen. This helps to improve your skin texture, reduce fine lines and wrinkles and can help to improve your self confidence, which is always incredibly important when changes are occuring which are out of your control. pHformula skin resurfacing treatments are a bespoke treatment which can be focused to improving menopause related skin changes. This treatment, can be used in addition to the pHFormula AGE home-care treatment pack to help maximise your skin improvement. ​ Skin Care ​ pH Formula which is a medical pharmaceutical grade skin care brand offered in clinic, provide a fantastic range of skin care options which are proven to help ease the menopause related skin changes. The AGE brand helps to improve skin texture, moisture, appearance and also reduce fine lines and wrinkles. There are a number of options available in clinic - for those with an established skin care regimen, we could simply add specific products into your routine, following a personalised skin care consultation with Dr Cei. Alternatively, pHformula home-care treatment packs are a fantastic way of starting afresh with skin care - if you are uncertain about what items your need, or if your skincare is actually irritating your skin, or if you simply don't know where to start with medical grade skin care, the treatment packs offer everything you need. They include a cleanser, serum, active treatment (including retinol) and moisturiser - all of which are specifically formulated for ageing skin which would benefit from a refresh and TLC. ​ ​ Hormonal Treatments Following an in depth discussion with your own GP, you may decide hormonal treatments such as HRT are also helpful for managing your menopausal symptoms, and in turn also improve your skin texture. There are also non hormonal ways to help improve your symptoms (take a look at Menopausematters.co.uk or Rock My Menopause for further information). ​ ​ Lifestyle In addition to hormonal treatments, lifestyle can have a considerable effect on your symptoms and skin. Exercise, drinking plenty of water, and having a healthy diet can have a huge impact on how you feel during the menopause and the effects it has on your body. Would you like to find out more about how to support your skin during the peri/menopausal period? Book your consultation with Dr Cei today

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