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Many women notice some skin changes during their perimenopausal and menopausal stages. During these transitional phases, hormone levels change in the body. The two main reproductive hormones, estrogen and progesterone, start to decrease during perimenopause. After one year since their last period, women enter menopause. Besides playing a role in sexual health and reproductive function, estrogen also contributes to other body processes.
Estrogen specifically affects a woman’s skin in many ways. Perimenopausal women may notice acne breakouts. Menopausal women observe that their skin becomes drier and thinner over time. When estrogen levels drop, the skin starts losing its hydration more quickly and becomes dry. This requires additional skincare including cleaners and moisturizers to replenish the skin with the nutrients it needs.
The skin also becomes thinner after estrogen levels diminish. This makes women more susceptible to easier bruising. To prevent thinning, menopausal women need to frequently apply sunscreen every day.
Another important skin alteration in menopause is collagen loss. Research findings demonstrate that over the course of the first five years of menopause, most women lose 30 percent of their skin collagen. In the following 20 years, the annual collagen decline rate drops to 2 percent.
When collagen decreases, the skin becomes prone to wrinkles, fine lines, and pores. With hormonal changes, women also lose the fat underneath their skin. The natural firmness and elasticity of their skin also drops which manifests as saggy skin. Saggy skin most commonly affects the jawline, cheeks, and neck region.
Age spots are certain areas that become hyperpigmented with age. Age spots develop frequently in menopausal women because their thinner skin becomes more sensitive to sun damage. Furthermore, due to the estrogen and testosterone imbalance, facial hair may start appearing on the chin or upper lip area.
A useful treatment method to help with menopausal symptoms such as skin changes is hormone replacement therapy (HRT). HRT is a way to replace the lost estrogen and progesterone in the body and therefore relieve menopausal problems. By boosting estrogen levels, the skin regains its collagen and becomes more healthy.
Women who promptly start HRT 6 months after their period stops can successfully avoid the aforementioned skin changes associated with menopause. Studies show that HRT improves skin hydration thus reducing the drying effects associated with menopause. Other benefits of HRT include an increase in skin thickness and elasticity. The improved skin texture results in less wrinkles as well.
HRT supplemented by skincare products such as sunscreen and moisturizers proves to be most effective in battling menopausal skin changes. Every women has different a different skin profile, that’s why before starting any treatment, she must consult with a specialist.
Dr. David Nazarian is a specialist in HRT. At Hormone Replacement Therapy, he carefully examines the patient’s medical history and listens to their complaints. After evaluating the condition of the patient’s skin, he can recommend the appropriate HRT dose and duration needed to treat their symptoms.
Transdermal HRT is the ideal method of administration to treat skin changes. However, depending on the patient’s other menopausal symptoms, an oral tablet form can be a better option.
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