I’ve been in perimenopause for a couple of years now, and the changes in my body are constantly surprising me. From irregular periods to vaginal dryness to hot flashes, new symptoms are popping up all of the time, but what’s caught me off guard is the changes in my skin.
The hormonal changes that take place in midlife during perimenopause and menopause wreak havoc on our bodies, and our skin tends to bear the brunt of it. Hormones can trigger everything from acne outbreaks to dry and itchy skin—and of course fine lines. Yes, shifting hormones in midlife can make your skin feel like it’s aged overnight.
How These Hormonal Changes Affect Your Skin
During perimenopause—which starts for most women in their 40s and can last anywhere from a few months to ten years—estrogen levels start to decline. This can cause dramatic shifts in skin quality. This effect is then magnified in our mid-40s and 50s when we go into menopause, explained London-based dermatologist Dr. Jonquille Chantrey to Shape.
“Lowered estrogen levels alter collagen and elastin production, weakening the dermis and reducing hydration levels,” Dr. Chantrey says.
All of these changes cause a loss of volume and elasticity in the skin, and that’s what leads to fine lines, wrinkles, and laxity.
“When women see these symptoms, they often say they feel like they aged a decade overnight,” Dr. Chantrey says.
In a woman’s life, hormone production ebbs and flows in pre-puberty, puberty, pregnancy, and post-pregnancy. This also happens during perimenopause and menopause.
Every cell in the human body has the genetic material needed to produce hormones. The hormones that affect the skin are mostly produced by the adrenal and pituitary glands, which are located in the brain and sexual gonads (ovaries and testicles).
Since the hormones that act on the skin are produced by glands located in our ovaries, symptoms like acne breakouts and extreme dryness are common.
But these proteins aren’t on a mission to destroy your complexion. Skin changes are often side effects of hormones simply doing their job somewhere else in your body. Those hormones that triggered your body to menstruate and procreate become imbalanced during perimenopause. And eventually, those levels just plummet. For many of us, that significant drop will cause the skin’s oil glands to produce pimples and then shut off, which causes dryness.
Ways You Can Combat These Changes
Now that we know the common changes that can happen to our skin during perimenopause and menopause, the question is: what can we do about it? The first thing to do is consult your doctor.
A visit to the OBGYN can familiarize you with treatment options, like hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which can mitigate the dryness that plagues us during perimenopause. There are also topical solutions that can be extremely helpful when it comes to alleviating the symptoms of hormonal fluctuations.
Empelle Serum may be pricey, but that is because it uses proprietary technology that the brand says safely and effectively replenishes the health and vitality of estrogen-deficient skin. The product is lightweight, reinvigorating, oil-free, fast absorbing, and clinically proven.
100% of study participants showed improvement with skin hydration after using Empelle Serum. Well over half saw a reduction in the appearance of wrinkles, and a whopping 93% said it improved their skin’s overall appearance after just eight weeks of use.
For those who have already seen advanced signs of aging on the skin, Biopelle Tensage Advanced Cream Growth Factor Moisturizer might be worth the investment. This is a daily use, highly emollient, and richly textured cream that’s made for mature skin with signs of sun damage.
The key ingredients in this formula are antioxidants, Vitamins C & E, hyaluronic acid, and glycoproteins, as well as “SCA biorepair” technology, which is derived from snails and contains growth factors. Apply it daily to hydrate and brighten your skin.
Address fine lines, wrinkles, dark circles, and under-eye puffiness with EltaMD Renew Eye Gel. This hydrating eye cream features peptides and hyaluronic acid to help reduce the appearance of skin aging while generating brighter, healthier-looking skin.
The Organic RENEW Pure Radiance Face Oil is True Botanicals’ best-selling moisturizer, and it has been clinically proven to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles while increasing the skin’s hydration levels. Most creams and lotions just sit on the skin’s surface, but Pure Radiance Oil delivers nutrients to the skin’s deeper layers and gets down to where the issues begin.
If you are looking for a solution that’s perfectly tailored to your specific skin type and issues, look no further than Curology Custom Formula for Anti-Aging. You can boost your glow with a personalized Rx cream that is virtually prescribed for you by a doctor.
Your bespoke cream will contain a custom combination of ingredients, which can include tretinoin, niacinamide, tranexamic acid, and more. Tretinoin is a form of Vitamin A, and is one of the most powerful, clinically tested ingredients to reduce wrinkles, dark spots, and fine lines, as well as improve skin texture, and firmness.
Plus, you can try a 30-day supply of all recommended products for free, all you have to do is pay $4.95 for shipping and handling.