Menopause and Skin Problems

Ah, menopause, the time in your life when everything turns upside down – just keep reminding yourself that you are not in this alone! Women going through menopause will be faced with a long list of changes, all because the body stops producing the hormone estrogen. You would not think one simple hormone could cause such a ruckus but it does. When first starting into peri-menopause, the years when you still menstruate, although sporadic and different, you will still have menopausal symptoms, meaning you are going to go through all kinds of interesting things. The most common include hot flashes, night sweats, heart palpitations, mood swings, insomnia, headaches, and so on.

Now, another problem that creeps into the picture has to do with menopause and skin problems. Shoot, you got through the teenage years of struggling with acne and now when you should have soft, glowing skin, you find yourself faced with dry skin or other problems! Well, unfortunately, menopause and skin problems go hand-in-hand so as you near the mid to late forties and begin to notice changes in your body you might as well expect this too will develop.

However, when we say menopause and skin problems that does not automatically mean you will be dealt the worst-case scenario. The challenge with menopause for most women is that the types of symptoms, intensity of symptoms, frequency of symptoms, and duration of symptoms vary from one woman to another woman. That means while your sister may have experienced menopause and skin problems to the worse level you may not. Additionally, skin problems could involve dry skin, acne, tiny veins, and other things, again, varying from one woman to the next.

The good news about menopause and skin problems is that just as with most other symptoms of the change of life, you have a number of excellent options. That means instead of just dealing with dry, itchy skin, you can actually use a number of creams and even take vitamins and herbs to find relief. First, you will find the market flooded with moisturizers promising to add moisture to your skin but the truth is they do not add moisture to the skin. Instead, moisturizers lock in existing moisture. For that reason, to help with menopause skin problems, start by drinking lots of water.

Then, when it comes to menopause and skin problems, specifically dry skin, look for products for cleansing and moisturizing that list water as the first ingredient. This coupled with drinking it and you will begin to notice better skin. Another key to help with menopause and skin problems when talking about dryness is to start adding oil into your diet. As you go through menopause, your body will become depleted of oils that it needs. By adding one tablespoon of safflower, olive, sunflower, or canola oil to your diet every day, whether swallowing it down or adding it to salad dressing, you will notice better skin.

While there are many great products to consider for menopause and skin problems we recommend one called Aquafor. When battling dry skin, the number one skin problem associated with menopause, this product contains petroleum. While this will look and feel a little greasy when applied to the skin, we suggest you use it at night. However, if applied during the day, simply take a tissue and dab any excess off the skin. Another great product for menopause skin problems is called Lubriderm’s Advanced Therapy Creamy Lotion, made specifically for dry skin. This particular product can be purchased inexpensively at your local drug or grocery store and it works well.

Again, since menopause skin problems usually involve dryness to some level, when you shop for products, look at the ingredients, choosing products that have water, petroleum, lanolin, and/or mineral oil. Then when you wash your face in the morning and again at night, leave a little bit of water on your face and then apply a day or nighttime moisturizer. The reason is that when the skin is still damp and the moisturizer is applied, it traps the moisture in, helping with the dryness.

Finally, for menopause skin problems, you will find that sometimes, moisturizers are not enough. In this case, use a gentle exfoliate that will help to remove the top layer of skin, which is simply dead cells. Then as you have sloughed off the old skin, you can then use the moisturizer. Now, on occasion, women will have more serious skin problems, which are frustrating and do nothing for confidence. If you happen to fall into this category, then talk to your doctor. Chances are you will be referred to a dermatologist who can make some excellent suggestions.

See Also: Caring for your skin in menopause