Managing Menopause: Top 10 Skincare Changes & How to Treat Them

Menopause is a period during a woman’s life when the ovaries cease to produce hormones and their menstrual periods come to an end. Finally! Every woman will experience menopause unless your ovaries were removed before puberty. That means that we are all in this together. Menopause is officially diagnosed when you have gone a full 12 months without a menstrual period. Menopause usually occurs when you are in your late 40’s to 50’s. The average age of menopause in the United States is approximately 51 years old. 75 million women are currently in perimenopause, menopause, or post-menopause in the United States. There are many ways to prevent and relieve menopause symptoms in your skin. Some changes you will see in your skin are a loss of collagen, skin fat, and elasticity. But with every problem, there is a solution! These are the top 10 things that happen to female skin during menopause and how to treat these effects:

1. Hormonal Acne- This specific form of acne can appear during many stages of a woman’s life. In ages 20-29, 50% of women develop hormonal acne and in ages 40-49, 25% of women develop hormonal acne as well. As their estrogen levels decline, their androgen levels may not decrease but even increase. This hormonal imbalance leads to acne during menopause. Some ways to treat hormonal acne are clean dieting, anti-androgen drugs, oral contraceptives, tea tree oil, and more. Our KD Acne Bundle contains great products for treating hormonal acne. It contains KD Clear It Up Acne Wash, KD Acne Treatment Pads, KD Smooth and Soothe Moisturizer, and KD Zap It Acne Spot Treatment Gel. These products combined will deeply penetrate your skin, clear blemishes, and overall smooth out your skin.
2. Facial Hair- Coarse hair may form during menopause. 40% of women over the age of 45 experience unwanted hair during menopause. This is caused by a drop in estrogen levels and the continuous amounts of testosterone circulating. With an estrogen imbalance, this would be a source of certain male sex characteristics to become more prominent in a woman’s features. Some ways to treat facial hair would be tweezing, plucking, and waxing. A very efficient way to get rid of these hairs permanently would be a laser hair removal treatment. If you have a more extreme case you should ask your doctor to prescribe a topical cream.
3. Dry & Itchy Skin- Estrogen stimulates the structure of skin-smoothing collagen and oils. As estrogen begins to decline, your skin will start to become very itchy and dry. Using an anti-itch cream or hydrating mist would help treat dry and itchy skin. A great product to prevent and treat dry and itchy skin would be our KD smooth and soothe moisturizer. The green tea extract in this moisturizer helps soothe the skin while the glycerin and squalane help smooth and soften your skin.
4. Wrinkles- Throughout the process of menopause, your skin will become more fragile due to the loss of collagen which will form wrinkles. Some ways to treat wrinkles are products with hyaluronic acid, glycerin, ceramides, and sunscreen. A great and popular product for wrinkles would be our Liquid Line Refine. This product contains collagen cofactor stimulators like copper, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide which are the key components in this skin miracle. This product is clinically proven to deliver results equivalent to 1 injection of collagen filler in just two weeks of regular use. Reactivate the collagen and elastin synthesis in your skin by using the Liquid Line Refine. Another popular product for fine wrinkles would be our Diamond Line Refine. This serum diminishes the signs of aging and helps your skin become more smooth and firm.
5. Skin Rashes- 46% of women attending a menopause clinic have stated that their skin issues developed from menopause. A common effect of these skin issues is skin rashes. A significant loss of estrogen may make your skin very itchy and irritated, causing your skin to be more sensitive than usual. This will form skin rashes on your face. Ways to treat skin rashes would be with a fragrance-free lotion but if the rashes get progressively worse, you should see your dermatologist.
6. Age Spots & Sun Damage- Throughout menopause, age spots and dark spots can appear on your face, neck, chest, arms, or hands. Even skin cancer and pre-cancerous skin can become more regular in women during menopause. Many women will experience uneven skin tone and sun spots. Age spots and sun damage can be difficult to treat, so you should use skincare that contains retinol and niacinamide. Applying lots of sunscreen frequently will prevent sun damage. A very useful way to treat sun spots would be facial peels. BeautyByDrKay offers the VI peel which helps treat sun spots and hyperpigmentation. It also improves your skin tone and texture.
7. Melasma- 70% of women dealing with menopause have a pigment reduction in their skin. Melasma is a skin condition that normally aggravates your skin and produces patches of hyperpigmentation, generally on your face. Avoidance of sun and estrogen exposure could help prevent melasma. A great product to treat melasma would be our KD Brightening Pads for Special Areas. These pads contain amazing ingredients like Vitamin C and Kojic Acid that help with brightening and dimming any red patches on your face.
8. Hot Flashes- This is the most common symptom in women experiencing menopause. These flashes normally come on quickly and produce extreme sweating and warmth in the face, neck, and chest, the skin may also become red. On average, women have hot flashes for 4-5 years, but nearly 25% of women may have them for as long as 10 years. There are many ways to prevent hot flashes including exercising, reducing stress levels, and keeping yourself cool.
9. Hair Loss- Hair Loss is very common after menopause. 40% of women have said that they experienced significant hair loss after menopause. Multiple factors could contribute to hair loss. The main contributors to hair loss would be the stopping of estrogen and progesterone production. With a deficiency in these hormones, your hair will grow very slowly and become delicate. Stress, underlying health conditions, and certain medications increase your chances of hair loss after menopause.
10. Skin Losing Strength- During menopause, your skin will be deprived of new collagen production and you will start to lose your skin’s elasticity. Many studies have shown that women’s skin loses about 30% of its overall collagen throughout the first five years of menopause. To help produce new collagen, we recommend taking collagen shots and getting treatments that build up your collagen production. Luckily for you, BeautyByDrKay offers Sculptra! Sculptra is a stimulator that helps your body stimulate the building of new collagen. It can also be used to fill in dimples where you have cellulite. We also sell KD Internal Radiance Beauty Collagen which is a collagen booster powder that helps restore your skin’s elasticity, reduce facial wrinkles, and strengthen bones and joint health. This powder is also rich in proteins and collagen peptides which help your overall body composition and skin.