Are You In Menopause? How You Skin Is Changing
Posted on: 29 July 2015
If you are menopausal, your ovaries still produce hormones, including testosterone and estrogen, but the levels of these hormones are much lower than they once were. Estrogen is the main hormone that affects your skin in menopause. As the levels go down, your skin produces less elastin and collagen. This results in thin and dry skin. Low testosterone levels can make your skin oilier, and this along with low estrogen can result in acne. If this sounds like you, follow the tips below to take care of your skin.
Increase Estrogen
Because low levels of estrogen are the cause of these problems, visit your doctor to get it increased. The doctor will first do a blood test to check your estrogen levels to make sure they are low. Once this is determined, they can offer you many forms of estrogen, such as pills, vaginal ring, cream, patch, and gel. Your doctor can go over each of these with you to determine what will work best for you. They will likely start you on a low dose.
If you do not want to take these forms of estrogen, you can try natural hormones first. Estrogen not only helps with these skin problems, but also helps you with hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and increases your libido.
Take Care of Acne
Lower levels of testosterone can trigger the sebaceous glands in your skin. When this happens, your skin will produce more oil, which can lead to acne breakouts. Because more oil is produced, this results in your skin feeling oily and will clog up your pours.
You can see a dermatologist for topical treatments to take care of this problem. The doctor will use products containing salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide to clear your skin.
You also need to have a good skin care regime at home. Wash your face each morning and then at night before you go to bed if you are not already doing so. Make sure the face wash you use is nondrying. When you finish washing your face, use a light moisturizer.
You need to be gentler with your skin so do not use any harsh products. You should not vigorously scrub your skin, because this can easily irritate it. If you already have oily skin, do not use any products that are oil-based, instead look for mineral or water-based products. If your skin is naturally thin and dry, look into oil based skin care products that help to naturally hydrate the skin.
Talk with your dermatologist about the best products you can use for cleaning your skin. In many cases, you can purchase these products over the counter.
Share