However, the most evident signs of menopause are actually felt by the skin and hair, for they have more reactions than other body parts. What triggers these reactions, and how do they affect your body? Find out the answers by getting to know the primary reason behind these changes.
Hypersensitivity during the Menopausal Stage
If pregnancy is the period when your hormones go berserk, menopause is its total opposite. Your hormones, or your body's chemical messengers, experience many ups and downs during the perimenopause. Estrogen levels are significantly affected since your ovaries gradually decrease their hormonal production. As a result, your body becomes 'shocked' by the abrupt hormonal levels, resulting in hypersensitivity and deterioration.
You might think that menopause can only be felt by having irregular periods or headaches. Often, women overlook their skin and hair changes only to be noticed when it's too late. Here's what you need to remember: both skin and hair receive the adverse impact of menopause-induced hormonal changes. They become overly sensitive, which can be pretty distressing on your part.
So, how does menopause exactly affect your hair and skin? How do your skin and hair react to these changes? Feed your curiosity by reading the following information below.
How Do Your Skin and Hair React During Menopause?
Are you curious about what will happen to your skin and hair during the menopausal period? Check out the following list of menopausal effects.
1. Your skin becomes wrinkly and saggy.
The last thing you would ever want is to have saggy and wrinkly skin. Unfortunately, you begin to experience skin aging during the menopausal phase. It happens when your body lacks estrogen to boost collagen production. Collagen is a unique protein that helps maintain your skin's firm and elastic structure. Thus, if your collagen level drops, your skin won't remain as youthful and supple as it was before.
2. Your wounds heal slower than usual.
During perimenopause, women should be extra careful to avoid wounds and injuries. Science has discovered slower wound healing as an adverse menopausal effect since estrogens help accelerate re-epithelialization. Specifically, one study which focused on postmenopausal women has found the positive impact of hormone replacement therapy in wound repair.
3. Brown spots appear on your face and other body parts.
Skin discoloration is another effect of menopause. Your skin's pigments deteriorate as hormonal imbalance meets ultraviolet rays. These brown spots are known as melasma and usually appear on your cheeks, forehead, T-zone, and upper lip due to prolonged sun exposure.
4. Your skin feels thin, dry, and itchy.
Skin dryness is a common symptom among menopausal women. Estrogen deficiency can also lower glycosaminoglycan (GAG) production. This particular type of protein helps retain moisture and nutrients, resulting in glowing and hydrated skin. GAG is also responsible for cell proliferation, which aids wound repair. As time goes, your skin's dermis even ages, thereby causing your skin to become thinner and more susceptible to abrasions and dehydration. Once your skin feels dry, it can lead to itching. Therefore, a lack of estrogens in the body can hamper skin hydration and suppleness.
5. Your strands suffer from menopausal hair loss.
When the cat is away, the mouse will play. It same goes for your sex hormones. When your estrogen levels drop during perimenopause, androgens will take over your system. This hormonal imbalance is incredibly risky for your hair since testosterone can multiply and wreak havoc on your hair follicles.
Suffering from stressful situations during the menopausal period can also push testosterone conversion into dihydrotestosterone. This potent androgen binds to your hair follicle's androgen receptor until it miniaturizes. The more DHT you have in the body, the more follicles will shrink, leading to hair loss.
6. Your facial hair grows thicker than average.
Contrary to your body and scalp's hair, your face will experience hair growth changes due to the influx of androgens during perimenopause. Some women experience growing fuzzy hair on their faces. This excess hair growth might make you feel self-conscious. Don't worry, for you can still mitigate this unwanted hair growth.
7. Your locks become dryer, sparser, more brittle, and dull-looking.
Hormones also hold accountability for your hair's physical texture and appearance. A decline in these chemical messengers can take a toll on your oil glands' sebum production, resulting in dryer locks. Increased stress levels due to menopause can also contribute to the deterioration of your hair's quality, causing it to become sparser and more brittle.
Skin and Hair Maladies: Nine Ways You Can Do to Minimize These Reactions
1. Enjoy a phytoestrogen-rich diet.
Estrogen deficiency is the root cause of skin and hair problems. Thus, you need to reload your body with estrogen-mimicking nutrients known as phytoestrogens. These plant compounds can be found in soy products, flax seeds, sesame seeds, mung beans, and wheat bran. By eating phytoestrogen-enriched foods, you can help regulate your hormonal levels, thereby preventing skin and hair hypersensitivity.
2. Always hydrate yourself.
Dryness is a common culprit of skin and hair issues. Thus, it would be best for you to replenish your body with eight to ten glasses of water every day. By doing so, you can prevent your locks from becoming frizzy and dull-looking and your skin and scalp from feeling dry and itchy.
3. Exercise to relieve stress.
Stress is inevitable, and it worsens as you experience severe menopausal symptoms. Thus, you need to manage and relieve your stress as much as you can. Exercise is a healthy way to get rid of all the physical and mental stress. Plus, exercising can make your skin firmer and keep wrinkles and loose skin at bay.
4. Protect yourself against heat exposure.
Middle-aged women become hypersensitive to heat and sunlight. The sun's ultraviolet rays can penetrate your hair and skin and impair their cells. Your face is especially at risk for sun exposure since it's susceptible. Therefore, it is a must to wear sunscreen for total protection against UV damage. Use an umbrella and cap to protect your hair and face.
5. Sleep on time and adequately.
A good night's sleep is your body's 'vacation' time, allowing the cells, tissues, and organs to recuperate. When you sleep, your hormonal glands also regenerate, which is beneficial for your body's hormone production. Resting for at least eight hours every day also mitigates your stress levels, especially for those undergoing severe menopausal symptoms.
6. Boost your vitamin-C consumption.
Vitamin C is known for encouraging collagen production, which is beneficial for both skin and hair. Since collagen is a protein type, it has amino acids that can form and strengthen your hair's structure. This remarkable nutrient is also essential in ensuring your skin fiber's elasticity and strength. Thus, it would be healthy to have a hearty supply of vitamin C from citrus fruits, dark leafy veggies, blueberries, tomatoes, and watermelons. You can also ingest ascorbic acid supplements if your body's lacking in vitamin C.
7. Opt for hormonal replacement therapy.
Hormonal imbalance is the primary factor behind your menopausal skin and hair changes. If you think your hormonal levels aren't cooperating with your body, you can choose to undergo hormone replacement therapy. HRT is a postmenopausal treatment that involves female hormone medication in the form of pills, patches, or gels. This therapy helps stabilize your estrogen levels, thereby preventing the havoc caused by hormonal imbalance. Yet, it would still be best to consult your trusted physician before undergoing this treatment.
8. Use anti-hair loss hair products.
Whether your menopausal hair loss condition is temporary or permanent, you still need to fortify and protect your locks against irreversible hair damage. Thus, it is of utmost importance to use anti-hair loss products such as shampoos, conditioners, and serums to fight off the effects of estrogen decline. Choose those that are toxic-free so that your sensitive scalp and hair can evade hair loss issues.
9. Ask for dermatological help.
Last but not least, don't forget to seek your doctor's help in case of worsened hair and skin conditions. Dermatologists can identify the root cause of your skin or hair problem and give you the proper treatment. Therefore, don't self-medicate if you think your skin or hair's situation is beyond your control.
Let Your Hair Grow and Your Skin Glow Healthily.
Don't let menopause lower your self-esteem and bother your everyday life. That is why you need to take good care of your health for preventive measures. If you can't avoid the menopausal symptoms, you can alleviate your hair and skin's effects using nutrient-enriched, hypoallergenic, and toxin-free hair and skincare items. Live a healthy lifestyle, and don't let stress get into your hair and skin so that you can enjoy your menopausal days with ease and happiness.
Say No to Menopausal Hair Loss.
Win the battle against menopausal alopecia by using the best shampoo for hair loss. It's also essential to thicken those strands and maintain their smooth and supple texture with a hair thickening shampoo. By choosing the best hair growth products for your growing tresses, you will never feel the adverse effects of menopause.