Sun spots and wrinkles: A dermatologist’s tips on caring for your menopausal skin

                            

Age spots, dry skin and pronounced fine lines are just some issues you might encounter as you get older. But with the right regime and attitude, you can actually look better with time.

You’ve probably heard of this skincare myth before: Going into menopause automatically means you can kiss healthy skin, hair and nails goodbye forever.

But that's simply not true. With the right regime (hello, 24-hour hydration, time-fillers, wrinkle erasers) and a positive attitude, ageing gracefully is within your grasp. As OG supermodels such as Cindy, Naomi and Helena have proven every time you see them on Versace and Balmain runways, you can actually look better with time, menopause or not.

According to the Advanced Centre For Reproductive Medicine in Singapore, the average age for menopause is 52 – although some women may experience it much earlier.

Menopause is a rite of passage for women that actually has three phases: Peri-menopause, menopause and post-menopause. When a woman enters into peri-menopause – a phase when menstruation becomes irregular, up to the time when it stops for a year, she will begin to see changes in her body and skin.

“The imbalance of oestrogen and testosterone changes the skin dramatically, and is one of the culprits in the accelerated ageing of the skin,” explained dermatologist Dr Liew Hui Min of SOG – HM Liew Skin and Laser Clinic.

Each woman experiences the symptoms and signs of peri-menopause or menopause differently. “As a woman gets closer to menopause, blood supply to the skin is impaired, contributing to the thinning of the skin, leading to increased water loss and dry skin as well as prominent veins, and capillaries,” explained Dr Liew.

“The loss of supportive fat below the skin of the face, neck, hands and arms allows sagging wrinkles to appear. The lack of collagen repair is particularly pronounced if the skin is exposed to ultraviolet (UV) rays or sunlight. UV rays are very destructive to collagen," she said.

"This results in wrinkling in areas of the skin that have been exposed to UV rays over the years, pigmentation increases resulting in brown “age spots” appearing on the face, hands, neck, arms and chest of many women.”

In other instances, some women may notice oily skin on the face, chest and back due to increased testosterone levels leading to thicker sebum production. The hormonal changes can sometimes lead to acne breakout.

This story has not been edited by Blueplanet staff and is published from a syndicated feed

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