Menopause officially begins one year after your last period and it affects your skin and hair due to a change in hormone levels. According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, your skin may become thin, dry, and slack. You may notice more hair on your face than on your scalp. The effects of a bad skincare routine and long hours under the sun without protection will be visible now. It will result in age spots and larger areas of dark skin around the neck, arms, hands, legs, etc.
These concerns may differ from person to person and you must visit a dermatologist but here are a few simple tips to take care of your skin during menopause.
What Is the Best Skin Care For Menopausal Skin?
1. Wear sunscreen before you step out in the sun. You still have time to prevent the new age spots from forming and the SPF may also help lighten the already existing sunspots. You need to apply sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher in all areas that aren't covered by clothing.
2. Make an appointment for a skin cancer screening. The risk of getting skin cancer increases with age thus skin cancer screenings become important with aging. Skin cancer sometimes looks like an age spot or other dark spot on the skin. Spot treatment may help fade the spot but they may also delay the treatment giving the cancer time to possibly grow and spread. Go to a dermatologist for skin screening who will recommend the right spot treatments as per the requirement.
3. Use hydrating and mild products- In menopause, skin tends to become dry and loses the ability to hold water. Harsh products can strip the skin of its natural oils thus use a moisturizer with hyaluronic acid or glycerin. You can also opt for exfoliation or microdermabrasion under a dermatologist since trying one of these at home may cause more harm than good.
4. Try different methods for face hair removal- The levels of female hormones fall during menopause which gives rise to unwanted hair under your chin and along your jawline or above your lip. Waxing may help at times but since the skin becomes thin, waxing may result in tearing and bleeding of skin. You can opt for laser hair removal and a prescription hair-reduction cream from your dermatologist.
5. Treatments and products for wrinkles- With age, the collagen diminishes and the skin loses its firmness and begins to sag. Permanent lines appear on the tip of the nose and corners of the mouth. Wrinkles and pouches under the eyes appear all the time. Lack of skin firmness also causes large pores. To tackle skin sagging and wrinkles, you need to apply sunscreen and include peptides or retinol in your skincare to increase collagen.
6. Use products to prevent acne- As the woman's skin becomes thinner and drier the harsh teenage acne treatments may harm the skin than do any good. You need to unclog the pores using a cleanser with salicylic acid. Avoid using products that dry out the skin since it may worsen acne and hormonal treatment under medical supervision may also help.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)