During menopause, many notice changes on the skin. Then it might be worth reviewing your skin care routine so that you don't use the wrong products for your skin type. But what is actually happening in the skin and is there anything you can do or should think about? Here we list our best tips!
What is happening on a biological level in the skin?
During menopause, what is called intrinsic aging occurs in the skin, which means that it is a natural aging process that occurs from within the body and is not affected by external factors. The aging that occurs during menopause is mainly due to a decrease in three hormones: estrogen, progesterone and DHEA. When women end up in menopause and men in andropause, an imbalance occurs in the sex hormones. In women, this often leads to a dramatic change in skin elasticity, which is due to reduced production of estrogen that stimulates collagen in the skin. In men, the process occurs gradually due to reduced production of testosterone. Usually, menopause for women does not come until they approach fifty, but many women notice a big difference in their skin as soon as they pass forty. Before menopause, which occurs around the age of fifty, one observes a gradual decrease in the hormone DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) from the adrenal cortex during the period between thirty and forty, which is called the adrenopause. DHEA is a hormone that is closely linked to aging and is needed in the body to form both estrogen and testosterone. The concentration of DHEA is high at birth, then drops and increases again during puberty, then decreases again between thirty and forty.
The skin changes in three stages during menopause
Drier skin
Sebum production (sebum production) can increase up to the age of fifty, but decreases thereafter.
Sebum production is important for the skin's build-up of an effective hydrolipidic structure, which helps preserve the skin's moisture. When sebum production decreases, the water content in the skin also decreases and the skin becomes drier.
Thinner skin and enlarged pores
Thinner skin is another age-related change that can lead to wrinkles and enlarged pores. Thinner skin is due to keratinocytes not renewing themselves at the same rate as before. This causes the epidermis to become thinner by approximately 6.4 percent per decade.
Thinner skin makes us more sensitive to the sun, as it is easier for the sun to penetrate. The dermis also thins with age. With fewer fibroblasts forming collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid, the network of these substances is reduced, contributing to reduced skin firmness. You can test this on yourself by pinching your skin and noting how long it takes for the skin to find its original position. The longer it takes, the further the aging has progressed. The thinner skin also makes the blood vessels more visible and can look like a spider web of vessels. The reduced elasticity of the skin also often leads to enlarged pores.
Uneven pigmentation
Another age-related change that affects the skin is uneven pigmentation. This is due to a decrease in pigment-producing melanocytes in the epidermis by 10 to 20 percent for each decade after the age of thirty. Overactive melanocytes can also cause age spots, which are brown spots on the skin.
In summary, aging can lead to drier, thinner and more unevenly pigmented skin. It is important to protect the skin from the sun and to use moisturizing products to reduce age-related changes in the skin.
Product recommendations
As the skin risks becoming more sun sensitive, it is important to protect against the sun during the summer months. Sun Emulsion SPF 50+ has both a high UVA and UVB protection and protects against the sun's strongest rays.
Since the skin becomes drier during menopause, it is important to choose products for the drier skin type. This can be easy to miss if you are used to using products for an oilier skin type.
We recommend Rich Emulsion or Rich Intense . Here you can change depending on the season, but it is important to use barrier-strengthening creams.
When it comes to active ingredients, it may be a good idea to add vitamin A (retinol) to the skin, which both acts as a collagen stimulant and increases cell renewal to reduce the formation of wrinkles and reduce the thinning of the skin.
Vitamin C and N-acetylglucosamine can also be added if you start to notice a reduced glow or uneven pigmentation. The above ingredients are found in Night Active Retinol, which is excellent for the slightly more mature skin type.
If you do not have pigment changes, Probiotic Concentrate also works on signs of aging such as fine lines, wrinkles and even enlarged pores. However, it has no effect on pigmentation.
References
Gillbro, Johanna, (2019 ), The skin bible: understanding your skin - myths, science and good advice . Stockholm: Bookmark.
