skin and the menopause: how skin changes
As women we are put under many pressures in life, but still we are living longer and so some of us can spend up to 1 ⁄ 3 of our lives in the peri and postmenopausal period. So thank goodness we are talking about it more!
Menopause is a time of bodily change, and not least significant changes (namely ageing) to our skin which occur due to physiological changes in our bodies. In this blog post we take a closer look at skin and the menopause, and how skin changes.
Ageing in women is accelerated once we reach perimenopause due to the fall in oestrogen. Did you know that the main types of cells in the various layers of our skin contain oestrogen receptors? This means that they are more active in the presence of oestrogen and of course once levels of oestrogen are reduced, various changes occur including:
- Loss of the integral structure of our skin
- Skin dryness
- Thinner skin
- Fine lines and wrinkles
- Loss of firmness and elasticity
- Reduced blood flow to the skin (so less nutrition reaching it)
- Reduced cell turnover rate
- Higher susceptibility to damage from the environment
Let’s look at these changes more closely and understand why they occur. It is only when we are armed with this knowledge that we can take steps to ensure our skin ages in the best way possible.
Skin Dryness
We could write a whole blog post on this topic alone, so let’s try and break this down as simply as possible.
Probably one of the most common skin changes, skin dryness occurs as oestrogen is directly involved in keeping the skin hydrated. It promotes the production of hyaluronic acid (which draws water into the skin) and ceramides (lipids in our skin which fortify the skin barrier keeping hydration locked within) and it also encourages raised levels of mucopolysaccharides (which keep the skin lubricated and moisturised).
Oestrogen also helps to grow and repair the blood capillaries in our skin which supply essential nutrition. As the blood supply reduces, our cells start to turnover slower. This affects the efficiency of our skin barrier and we lose water through our epidermis leaving the skin drier and enhancing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Testosterone is a hormone that encourages the production of oil from our sebaceous glands and during menopausal years, there is a reduction in the levels of this hormone as well. So it makes sense that our skin is dryer.
However, as we know, one shoe does not fit all when it comes to menopause – Testosterone is inhibited by Oestrogen and so when levels of the latter reduce, it is also possible for testosterone levels to increase which stimulates a thicker sebum to be produced which can cause breakouts and congestion in the skin.
Thinning Skin
Oestrogen is involved in both the production and repair of proteins in the skin, collagen and elastin. The thinning we see of the skin during these years is due to less collagen being produced and more being broken down. The latest evidence is showing the following:
- We can lose up to 30% of the collagen in our dermis layer of the skin during the first five years following the menopause
- Collagen levels in our skin reduce by 1-2% each year thereafter
- This leads to our skin decreasing in thickness by 1.1% per year
With the reduction of elastin alongside this, we end up with thinner, less elastic skin as we proceed through this period.
Fine lines and wrinkles
Skin dryness, thinning skin and loss of elastin – which we have already attributed to oestrogen loss – will no doubt contribute to the formation of fine lines and wrinkles.
Interestingly, a large study (almost 4000 postmenopausal women) in the United States found that replacement of oestrogen helped to prevent the formation of wrinkles. This was assumed to be due to the increase and maintenance of collagen in the skin as well as hyaluronic acid as a result of the extra oestrogen.
Structural changes
Significant bone loss is experienced during menopause which also affects the skull. This results in the formation of nasolabial folds, tear trough hollowing and a flattened appearance of the face.
Photodamage
Oestrogens also have antioxidant properties which help to protect the skin against damage caused by UV light. Postmenopausal skin – after exposure to UV – is much more susceptible to damage than pre- or perimenopausal skin. This can also result in wrinkling, sagging of the skin and also less elasticity.
Pigmentation
Our skin contains cells called melanocytes which are responsible for the production of melanin in our skin. Oestrogen is involved in maintaining these cells and also regulates the secretion of melanin.
So with reduced oestrogen levels, we have a lower number of melanocytes and those that are still there are of a lower quality. As a result, there is a reduction in melanin production and the skin becomes lighter and therefore more susceptible to UV damage.
Lower oestrogen levels also means there is less maintenance of the remaining melanocyte cells and they can produce melanin erratically which can result in age spots and small patches of hyperpigmentation. Exposure to UV will then exacerbate this.
So, an awful lot of information, which can be quite overwhelming. But, although ageing is inevitable, how we age is not. And the significant changes we encounter throughout our lives can be as much an opportunity as they are a challenge. The wisdom that an older lady’s face exhibits is beautiful.
We can take steps towards ageing super gracefully! Look out for our related blog post Skin and the menopause: How to improve skin which will outline the best ways to proactively improve menopausal skin – whether you are there yet or not.
Finally, the menopause bandwagon brings with it unqualified ‘experts’, unregulated supplements and ‘miracle’ devices and they all come at a cost. The desperation that women can feel at this time when they experience a ‘loss of control’ over their bodies and minds is unfortunately monetised.
We cannot stress enough the importance of consulting with highly qualified professionals whether that be menopause nutritionists, menopause specialist medical professionals, personal trainers that understand menopause and of course skin and medical aesthetics practitioners that are regulated and accountable to their governing bodies.
Read more about collagen in our recent blog post Collagen – what’s the big deal, and for more expert skincare advice and tips follow us on Instagram.