Menopause….
Taking Care of your Skin When Menopause Hits
Menopause can be a stressful time for your body, physically, emotionally and mentally. Something that happens to all us females, but thank goodness, it’s not a taboo subject anymore!
Menopause should just be a transitional time for many women; unwanted symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, anxiety, insomnia, low mood, menstrual irregularity, crying spells, vaginal irritation and lowered libido can make menopause a very unwanted experience. From speaking with other women in the salon, we know that anxiety can be a huge problem during menopause, as is trying to adjust to these new personality traits.
However, we can help guide you through the years of peri & menopause to help ease your skin journey and give helpful advice to treat you as the whole person.
Menopause is the body’s way of officially stopping menstruation and is defined as “when a woman has not had a menstrual cycle for 12 consecutive months.’’ Although it’s common in women who have come to the end of child-bearing age (usually around early 50s), this isn’t always the case – some women have been known to enter menopause as early as their 30s.
Menopause generally takes time to complete its transition and may last several years. Hormonal fluctuations in the body and changes in skin can occur from the peri-menopausal (first) stage. You might notice that you are no longer oily despite years of having oily skin. Increased sensitivity is common, but other issues can occur such as spot breakouts, itchy skin, redness, wrinkles and changes in texture and overall appearance. If you already have acne, you may find that it worsens during this time as skin gets more sensitive. Increased sensitivity can also provoke allergies and low oestrogen levels commonly lead to dry skin. Also, you’ll start to notice skin starting to sag during this time.
So, what you can do about it?
At Fresh Images our philosophy is always to look at the body as a whole. We treat the skin on the inside & outside. Lifestyle changes such as reassessing your diet and upping your water intake can make a big difference to the condition of your skin. Drinking less alcohol (yes even the few glasses of wine) and learning to cope with stress can also help you manage external conditions such as itchy skin.
A diet with nuts, seeds and fish will benefit your skin and help to boost your wellbeing. Maintaining a regular sleeping pattern can be hard to find, but taking some exercise will help the body. If you need a further boost, try a skin supplement such as Omega Oil, to support healthy skin function and Vitamin B Complex to help with stress management. This also effects the skin and stress levels particularly increase during these hormonal changes.
Personally, I found taking supplements of Magnesium 500mg & Vitamin D very beneficial, as magnesium help ease pain & sleep, it’s also could for your muscles and Vit D, is good for immunity especially with our lack of sunlight in Ireland & bone health.
You’ll find that weight easily gains around your middle, so upping your exercise routine is a must! But back to the skin….
If you’re suffering with Dry Skin-avoid hot baths and apply moisturiser regularly to comfort the skin. We would always use a serum on this skin type and exfoliate regularly, as this skin makes a lot of dead skin. Use a sunscreen daily to protect your skin, we recommend our Heliocare range, full of natural mineral care and has a full PA++++ listing. It has a full range to suit all skin types and we can help recommend these if you’d like some advice when choosing one. Avoid harsh soaps and detergents that can aggravate dehydrated skin.
Sensitivite skin: Stay away from heavily scented skincare. Look out for anti-inflammatory ingredients such as aloe vera, chamomile and calendula extract to calm angry, red skin. Guinot’s Créme Sensitive (€66) and Serum Sensitive (€76) are amazing products that instantly cool down irritation. To help calm redness try our (€83 ) Asap Super B Serum after cleansing morning and evening. This serum contains phytoestrogen which helps to disguise redness. Again our Heliocare Mineral fluid Spf 50 (€38) in Mineral fluid is ideal for this skin type, as it has no chemicals in it. You may find your body temperature feels higher during menopause & your face might flush easily.
Oil problems: You may find you get spots on your breasts, back and other parts of your body because of night sweats and hot flushes. Try Asap which have a clear skin body gel (€48) contains salicylic acid to help treat body acne and remove dead skin cells. Vitamin A is fantastic Serum used every 2nd night to keep skin from reacting and sloughing dead skin gently. We love our Asap Vitamin A Serum(€75), because it has biomimetic tripeptides that improve hydration and skin texture as well as oil production too
Sagging: Unfortunately we will eventually have sagging skin – it’s a natural part of the ageing process. But sun protection is paramount from an early age and vitamin A is key to preventing premature sagging, treatments such as Rejuvapen FDA approved microneedling or our EndyMed RF & Pure resurfacing treatment can have a significant effect on it.
We have a variety of products from the famous houses of Guinot and Asap, that can relieve skin problems associated with menopause, as well as a variety of treatments to help ease you through this time.
If you have any health concerns, please do seek advice from your GP and remember we are always here to help with your skin & offer an ear to listen!