Skin care
Have Acne? Wrinkles? Find Out Why (And What to Do)
Understanding the hormonal changes your body is going through can help you keep pesky skin problems to a minimum
The Stage: Menopause
As Dr. Wu says in "Feed Your Face," "as teenagers, our hormones made us irritable and anxious with stubborn breakouts and oily skin. For some women, adolescent acne then becomes hormonal acne, which can drag on into your late 30s and 40s. Then, when you finally think you have things worked out, wham menopause [hits] and you have a whole new set of problems."The hormonal gist: "Fluctuating hormone levels cause the classic symptoms of menopause like hot flashes, flushing and night sweats," explains Dr. Wu who also notes that as we enter menopause, our bodies produce less estrogen and that this "drop in estrogen leads to a loss of collagen," which, of course, leads to less elasticity, causing the skin to start to sag. And, as Dr. Murad says, falling estrogen levels can also lead to "thinning, dryness and fragility, medium to deep fine lines and wrinkles, lackluster tone and acne breakouts." Yikes. All in all, not a pretty picture.
Next: The ingredients menopausal women can use to help their skin
SEE NEXT PAGE: Menopause -- Plan of Attack
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