Everyone knows about the mood swings and the hot flashes that we women go through during menopause. But, under all the drama of the physical symptoms, we forget to pay attention to the changes our skin and hair go through at this time. Here is a rundown on how you can look after them while the hormones play havoc with the rest of you.
Symptoms you will notice
When you are peri-menopausal, you might find your hair strands feeling thinner; and hair falling more often. Even if you have never had acne before, your skin might suddenly break out. Or the skin, on other parts of the body too, might feel dry and itchy. The hormonal changes our bodies go through at this stage are the reason behind these, and with all the other physical and emotional changes, these changes are easy to overlook.
Better skin care
Besides the natural ageing our skin goes through as we get older, menopause is known to give you problems you might not have had before. Worse, it can even accelerate the ageing process by changing the appearance of your skin.
Fine lines and wrinkles are caused due to the gradual decrease of collagen and elastin in the skin. During menopause, the levels of the hormone oestrogen also reduce in our bodies and this can speed up the appearance of wrinkles and make the skin sag and look dull.
The skin also feels dry at this time and that is because blood flow to the face, which provides nutrition, also reduces, leading to water loss from the deeper layers of the skin. This makes the skin look dry and feel itchy.
Remedies
- A good night cream that contains Vitamin A, will help a good deal. A day cream with SPF is vital to prevent further damage. If you can afford them, pick up a high end face cream that is made for women in this age group which, with regular use, can make the skin look nourished and plumped up, as it evens out the fine lines and wrinkles.
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- You might get frustrated if you see your skin breaking out at this age, especially if you have never had teenage acne. For damage control, use cleansers that help reduce the excess oil on a regular basis. You can also try pimple and acne clearing creams that you can apply on the affected spots only. Don’t spread all over the skin because they will further dry out your skin. However, if you have oily skin and you are getting acne, use a gentle cleanser and face masks for oily skins.
- To combat the dryness, don’t take very hot showers, no matter how cold it is outside. You can use a cream that has some essential oil in it and these days, with people looking for natural products, many brands are using naturally hydrating ingredients like coconut oil, shea butter or even hyaluronic acid.
- As mentioned above, a day cream with high SPF is extremely important during this time because the very oestrogen that is reducing during menopause also produces melanin, which is instrumental in protecting the skin from the UV rays of the sun. So, no stepping out without strong sun protection.
- Unfortunately, this hormonal shift during menopause can also give rise to unwanted facial hair, even if you have never ever had that problem. This happens along the jaw line, the chin area and upper lip. Some women even find hair growing under the ears and just in front of them. The worst are those single thick strands that appear on the chin and have to be plucked out with tweezers. Waxing or regular threading are the safest way to remove these. If you have tried laser hair removal techniques and they have worked for you, then you can opt for that too.
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