Diminishing the Physical Signs of Menopause

Hot flashes and sleepless nights aren’t the only signs of menopause. Low estrogen levels in middle age send the body through even more visible changes, causing drier skin, new sprouts of hair, even a receding gum line. So along with a cooler thermostat, menopause can require a whole new beauty regimen. Here’s what to expect, and tips from Lifescript Beauty Expert Rona Berg on how to take charge of “the change”…

One day you look in the mirror and a much older woman stares back. Her face is lined, eyes are ringed with dark circles, skin slack and dull.

Meet yourself in menopause.

“Everyone’s surprised by what they go through,” says Debra Luftman, M.D., clinical instructor of dermatology at University of California – Los Angeles and co-author of The Beauty Prescription (McGraw-Hill). “You get more lines, wrinkles, sagging skin. It’s an intense experience when all of a sudden you see someone else in [your reflection].”

The culprit: low estrogen levels. As the hormone wanes, skin becomes drier and less supple. Hair gets thinner on your head, and pops up on your chin and upper lip. Your neck loses tone.

Fortunately, you can take steps to remedy the situation. Here’s what to do about each of the appearance issues you may face.

Signs of Menopause: Lines and Wrinkles
The No. 1 skin concern reported by menopausal patients is dryness, according to a survey of 625 dermatologists at the American Academy of Dermatology’s annual meeting in 2010. Wrinkles are No. 2.

In menopausal women, the skin secretes less oil, making it super-dry and less supple. It also becomes thinner and more fragile. Loss of elasticity – and the breakdown of firmness-promoting proteins collagen and elastin – leads to lines and wrinkles.

“Menopausal skin generally needs a heavier moisturizer,” says Hilary Baldwin, M.D., associate professor and vice chair of the department of dermatology at SUNY (State University of New York) Downstate in Brooklyn. “Moisturizer fills in the valleys between skin cells and does away with surface dryness. Whatever you used before, jack it up a bit. Switch from a lotion to a cream, or from a cream to a balm.”

Look for moisturizers with additives such as plant oils, peptides, retinols (forms of vitamin A that increase skin turnover), hyaluronic acid (which binds moisture into the skin), antioxidant vitamins C and E, coenzyme Q10, green tea or pomegranate extract. They can help reduce inflammation that makes your skin look older.

“Topical retinols and antioxidants are evidence-based, effective treatments for signs of aging,” says Sandra Read, M.D., a Washington, D.C.-based dermatologist and instructor at Georgetown University.
You can also eat a skin-healthy diet. For example, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamin A, and berries are packed with antioxidants that help protect skin from cell-damaging free radicals.

Drinking the proverbial eight glasses of water daily also keeps skin cells plump and hydrated.

Beauty Expert Recommends: Acure Organics Radical Age Reversal Cream, $28.99; Evan Healy Pomegranate Repair Serum, $36.95.

Signs of Menopause: Dull and Flaky Skin
As we age, skin cells don’t turn over as fast as they used to, and new cells don’t grow as quickly, either. The result? Dull, rough, flaky-looking skin, which occurs as dead cells pile up.

The problem is easily solved by regular exfoliation.

To sweep away dead cells, so moisturizer can better penetrate skin, use a facial scrub. Look for masks, creams or serums with exfoliating pumpkin, cranberry, cherry or papaya enzymes; seaweed or algae; glycolic acid; retinols; or L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C).

Baldwin also recommends treatments containing alpha-hydroxy acid to even out the top layer of the skin.

If the problem is severe, speak with your dermatologist about microdermabrasion, in which a machine uses tiny grains or crystals to buff away the surface skin.

Luminizing or highlighting makeup applied to the cheekbones and browbones will warm up the look of dull skin, as will a tinted moisturizer.

Beauty Expert Recommends: Alba Hawaiian Papaya Enzyme Facial Mask, $11.95; RMS Beauty Living Luminizer, $38; Ren Micro Polish Cleanser, $30.

Signs of Menopause: Puffy Eyes and Under-Eye Circles
Hot flashes can lead to sleepless nights, resulting in dark circles beneath eyes. Sagging under-eye skin can also become more pronounced with age as collagen is lost.

Look for eye creams with vitamin K, which prevents bruising, or retinol. Anti-inflammatories such as arnica, green tea extract and cornflower extract can reduce puffiness. But remember, a little goes a long way.

Cover up circles with a cream concealer one to two shades lighter than your skin. Pat gently with your fourth finger to exert the least pressure and prevent further pulling on the skin.

Beauty Expert Recommends: Origins No Puffery Mask, $21; Lily. B Multi-Action Rescue Ultra Eye Cream, $42.50.

Signs of Menopause: Slack Skin
Skin loses firmness in menopausal women, especially around the jawline, when the fat layer thins and collagen and elastin lose their snap.

“Omega-3 fatty acids [found in fish such as salmon] can help with collagen production,” Luftman says.

Other essential fatty acids (EFAs) are found in walnuts, canola and flaxseed oils. You can also take EFA supplements to support healthy skin membranes and help cells retain moisture.

You may want to try noninvasive treatments, such as a microcurrent facial, which sends an electrical impulse deep into muscles and skin to stimulate cellular reproduction and tightening. Galvanic facial treatments also rely on a kind of current to plump and tighten. A series of treatments is needed.

If sagging is severe, Read suggests laser rejuvenation therapy, which can be done by your dermatologist or at a specialized spa. The laser safely “heats collagen, stimulating it to regrow itself.”

For special events, try a firming cream as a temporary skin-tightener. Look for products with soy proteins, soy isoflavones, peptides or hyaluronic acid.

Beauty Expert Recommends: Arcona Peptide Firming Complex, $72; Immunocologie Treatment Cream VenoMax Light $195.

Signs of Menopause: Thinning Lips
It may seem as though lips are the only things that get thinner as we age. To make yours look plump, try a light, neutral lip shade in a cream formulation, with a dab of gloss in the center of the lower lip.

You may notice that your lipstick won’t stay where it belongs – especially if lines are beginning to appear above the lips. If that’s the case, use a pointed brush to stroke a bit of translucent powder or concealer just outside the edges of the lips before applying color.

Look for lip plumpers with cinnamon or niacin, a form of vitamin B that pumps up circulation. For severe thinning, Read suggests asking your dermatologist about injectable fillers like Restylane or Perlane.

Beauty Expert Recommends: Vapour Beauty Illusionist Concealer, $20.

Signs of Menopause: Hair Loss (on the head)
About half of menopausal women notice hair thinning, a condition called alopecia. Hair may also become drier and prone to breakage.

It helps to cut back on frequent heat styling – blow drying, flat ironing or hot curlers – or use them with heat-protection products. Use a gentle, sulfate-free shampoo, as sulfates can overstrip hair’s natural moisturizing oils.

Handle your hair with care. Styles like tight braids or pulled-back ponytails may also lead to breakage. So can frequent perms or harsh color.

If you’re experiencing hair loss, try this scalp self-massage to stimulate blood flow to the hair follicle: Sit on the edge of your bed, bend forward at the waist with your head hanging upside down, and massage the scalp in gentle circles. Repeat every night.

Effective over-the-counter treatments include Women’s Rogaine – which contains a circulation-promoting chemical called minoxidil, shown to increase hair regrowth and slow loss. If the problem is severe, consult your dermatologist for prescription medication.

Beauty Expert Recommends: Peter Lamas Chinese Herbs Stimulating Shampoo, $13; Peter Lamas Chinese Herbs Regenerating Scalp Serum, $46.

Signs of Menopause: Unwanted Facial Hair
Though the hair on your head may be thinning, you may see whiskers sprout on your lip and chin.

More than 40 million women in the U.S. have unwanted facial hair. Plucking is a good option for a few stray hairs, while waxing, depilatories (hair-dissolving chemicals) and bleaching creams work better for larger patches.

If your facial hairs are dark, Luftman suggests laser treatments for more permanent removal.

“It’s not very expensive compared to ongoing waxing,” she says. “And after six treatments you have a permanent 80% reduction.”

Laser hair removal isn’t effective on blond, gray or white hair. And if your skin is dark, some laser treatments may change its pigment, the Mayo Clinic warns.

Beauty Expert Recommends: Parissa All Natural Wax Strips Face/Bikini, $8.

Signs of Menopause: Sagging Neck
The neck can be menopause’s first casualty.

To prevent further damage, apply sunscreen and a rich moisturizer or serum in upward strokes daily. You don’t need a separate “neck-firming” product – your facial moisturizer will work just fine.

“If you have significant sagging and severe aging, surgery and lasers are the only treatments that work,” Read says.

While there’s no specialized surgical procedure for the neck, it can be tightened as part of a facelift.

Beauty Expert Recommends: Suki Spa Bio-C 10% Formula Face Serum, $80.

Signs of Menopause: Dark Skin Spots
Wonder where those dark spots on your face and backs of your hands came from?

“Melanocytes, the cells that produce pigment, produce too much in some places and too little in others,” Baldwin says. “The cells are either revved up or revved down due to fluctuating hormones.”

This hyperpigmentation shows up as dark spots or splotches on the face, neck and chest, most commonly on those with fair skin. To protect against this, wear sunscreen with active ingredients including zinc oxide, titanium dioxide or avobenzone.

Baldwin suggests a prescription retinoid (such as Retin-A), which is “far superior to over-the-counter versions,” she says.

“Alpha-lipoic acid and quercetin [antioxidant supplements] can help skin regenerate and may remove pigment deposits from the inside out,” says natural-health expert Mao Shing Ni, Ph.D., founder of the Tao of Wellness clinic in Santa Monica, Calif.

Beauty Expert Recommends: Jason Ester-C Skin, $20; Bhaktiveda Mud Mask, with traditional Indian botanicals to reduce discoloration, $17.

Signs of Menopause: Flushing and Blushing
“With less collagen and elastin, blood vessels in the skin lose the support structure around them,” Baldwin says. “They dilate, which is why many older women have a ruddy complexion.”

“If you have a history of rosacea [a condition in which the skin looks irritated and inflamed, with visible red blood vessels that can look like tiny pimples], your skin can get even redder,” Luftman says.

She recommends prescription topical rosacea treatments, glycolic acid, or “photofacials” (treatments with intense pulsed light, similar to a laser.)

“Avoid scrubs or toners that can exacerbate rosacea,” she says.

To tone down the red, apply translucent powder in a banana shade over your foundation. Look for products with anti-inflammatory ingredients like green tea extract, licorice extract (glycyrrhizinate), cucumber or chamomile.

Beauty Expert Recommends: Origins Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief (for redness and sensitivity), $66; Jane Iredale Pure Pressed Powder in Bisque, $32.

Signs of Menopause: Receding Gum Line and Tooth Discoloration
Before and after menopause, teeth may discolor, gums get thinner and teeth shift, which hollows the shape of your face, making you look older.

Cosmetic dentistry – from tooth whitening to realignment – is less invasive than cosmetic surgery, and can serve as a viable alternative.

“Teeth are the foundation of the face,” says Irwin Smigel, DDS, president of the American Society for Dental Aesthetics. “They wear down as we grow older. And as our teeth get smaller, or if teeth are extracted, our face starts to shrink and sag around them,” he says.

You can “build out” the teeth with bonding (adding a composite material to close gaps or cover discoloration) or by applying crowns or veneers, he says. “They add fullness to the lips and cheekbones and alter the shape and look of the face.”

Beauty Expert Recommends: Supersmile Whitening Fluoride Toothpaste, $21.

Rona Berg is author of Fast Beauty: 1000 Quick Fixes (Workman Publishing).

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