October 18, 2022
Menopause – How does menopause affect skin and hair?
by Lena Severin
Every menstruating person will end up here sooner or later: the menopause. For some, it's a curse, for others, a blessing. Either way, this time means a big change for the entire body. Similar to teenage years or pregnancy, a lot happens hormonally here! And just like in these phases of life, the skin reacts very individually to this hormonal change. In this article, you'll find out exactly what happens in the body during the menopause and how it affects skin and hair in particular. I also got tips on how to care for your skin during the menopause from our pharmacist Mara and product developer Moni.
- Menopause – What happens in the body?
- Symptoms of menopause – How to recognize when menopause is approaching
- Our skin during menopause – How is it affected by menopause?
- Menopause and dry skin
- Menopause and impure skin
- Menopause and hair changes
- Menopause and hair loss
- Holistic tips for your journey through menopause
1. Menopause – What happens in the body?
Hormones are nothing more than messenger substances in the body. They control pretty much all the processes that happen in us throughout the day and throughout our lives. The so-called menopause is no exception. On average, it knocks gently on the door of menstruating people for the first time at the age of 47.5 years and then lasts for several years. It describes the change from the ability to bear children through the menstrual cycle to the end of this cycle and thus also fertility.
Over the course of life, the reserve of egg cells is depleted and with each ovulation the number of follicles continuously decreases. During menopause, the ovaries slowly stop producing hormones. This results in estrogen and progesterone levels falling. If you are not quite sure what these hormones are exactly, here is a brief digression: estrogen is the female sex hormone. It therefore has a major influence on the menstrual cycle and pregnancy, but also on metabolism and bone formation. Progesterone is the hormone that prepares the uterus for pregnancy during the cycle and ensures that a fertilized egg also leads to a successful pregnancy.
But what exactly does a drop in progesterone or estrogen levels cause?
Falling progesterone levels during menopause:
- Irregularities in the cycle
- Feeling of tension in the chest
- Water retention
Falling estrogen levels during menopause:
- Hot flashes
- Sweating
- sleep disorders
- Depressive moods
- Heart palpitations
- Dry (mucous) skin
- Bone loss (osteoporosis)
During menopause, the hormones LH and FSH increase to compensate and stimulate hormone production in the ovaries. LH and FSH lead to the release of estrogen and progesterone or stimulate their production. In response to a reduced estrogen and progesterone balance, these two hormones are produced in increased quantities, which then leads to increased estrogen and progesterone production. The high proportion of LH and FSH compared to estrogen and progesterone triggers the well-known symptoms of menopause.
If you suspect that you are going through menopause based on your symptoms, you can have a blood test to determine whether your suspicion is correct. The increase in FSH levels can be easily detected there, thus providing clarity in the hormone jungle.
The menopause can be divided into 3 phases:
1. Premenopause
In the first phase, hormone production slowly decreases and the cycle slows down. This phase is not officially part of the menopause, as it is the time when the body prepares for the next phases. The premenopause begins a few years before the menopause. When exactly it starts is very individual, which is why it is difficult to determine a precise age or time period. You can recognize the start of this phase by the fact that your period is more irregular, because the body is already slowly starting to reduce hormones.
2. Perimenopause
The second phase is the start of menopause and begins at the average age of 47.5 years. As mentioned, when exactly it starts is very individual. For some it starts earlier, for others it lasts a little longer. It describes the period before menstruation stops.
3. Menopause
Menopause occurs at around 51 years of age. This is the period of 12 months without bleeding after the last menstrual cycle has ended. In colloquial language, menopause is often equated with the menopause. In fact, the menopause is only one of several phases that accompany us through the menopause.
4. Postmenopause
After the actual menopause ends, we enter the postmenopause phase. Menstruation stops completely and hormone levels remain at a low level.
2. Symptoms of menopause – How to recognize when menopause is approaching
There are many different symptoms, characteristics and phenomena that can indicate that menopause is starting. They don't all have to happen at once; just like the timing, this is very individual. But if you know your body well, you'll definitely notice even small changes.
Here are symptoms and symptoms that can occur in connection with menopause:
- Menstrual problems
- Heart palpitations
- Vaginal dryness
- Joint pain
- Bleeding
- Weight gain
- sleep disorders
- Bladder weakness
- Hair and skin problems
- depressions
- Hot flashes
- Mood swings
- Loss of libido
- osteoporosis
This may all sound pretty overwhelming at first. The points listed are of course anything but reasons to look forward to it. But as I said at the beginning, not all symptoms have to occur at the same time or at all. How you feel through the menopause is very individual. And for every complaint there are ultimately tips and tricks that provide relief and make it easier to deal with these symptoms.
We at JUNGLÜCK would like to take a closer look at the problem of skin changes and hair growth or loss.
3. Our skin during menopause – How is it affected by menopause?
We often receive messages from menstruating people describing changes in their skin, body and head hair during menopause and asking us for help and product recommendations. I would like to start by looking at the causes behind these changes.
Hair changes such as hair loss or increased body hair on the chin, upper lip or chest are completely normal phenomena. Incidentally, this also happens before menopause. Due to the change in hormones, the male hormones have a stronger effect when estrogen levels drop and promote hair growth or hair loss on the head.
The skin can deal with the hormonal changes in different ways. Dryness, an oily shine or even blemishes can manifest themselves here. Here, too, estrogen plays an essential role. The lack of the hormone causes the valuable collagen that holds the skin's structure together to deteriorate. This leads to a loss of thickness of the skin and its elasticity. It is also more difficult for the connective tissue to retain moisture, which leads to dryness and sensitive skin. The skin cells renew themselves more slowly, which affects the general speed of regeneration and the skin's ability to heal wounds. The overproduction of male hormones in relation to female hormones can also cause oily skin, blackheads and blemishes.
These are all completely normal developments and nothing to be ashamed of. With the right combination of care products, the skin can be well supported through the menopause and afterwards. The aim here is to promote the functions of the skin, such as collagen production and the ability to retain moisture. This is how the skin is maintained and can protect us from bacteria and viruses even as we get older.
In the next sections you will find a compact overview of care tips for the various skin changes that can occur due to menopause.
4. Menopause and dry skin
Trigger: Degradation of hyaluronic acid, collagen and elastin due to estrogen drop
Care for dry skin during menopause:
Hyaluron: Provides the skin with sufficient moisture. The creams also provide valuable lipids to strengthen the skin. Has a hydrating and plumping effect by supplying the moisture reserves.
- Hyaluron concentrate (morning/evening)
- Hyaluron Cream Light, Medium or Rich (morning/evening)
- Retinal Serum / Cream (evening)
- Vitamin C Serum (morning)
- Antioxidants or vitamin C ampoule (occasionally or as a cure)
- Antioxidant mask (occasionally)
5. Menopause and impure skin
Trigger: Overproduction of androgens (testosterone) in relation to female hormones (estrogen drop) in combination with dry skin
Care for impure skin during menopause:
Cleansing: Gentle facial cleansing to free the skin of excess sebum and dirt particles
- Cleansing gel (evening)
- or cleansing oil (evening)
Soothing: Avoid aggressive products such as alcohols as they remove additional moisture. Use a soothing and moisturizing facial toner.
- Calendula facial toner (morning/evening)
Active care for impurities: Effective against inflammatory impurities and reduction of oily shine and redness.
- Azelain Serum (morning)
Vitamin A: For the treatment of acne by regulating sebum production and stimulating cell renewal
- Retinal Serum (evening)
- Retinal cream (evening)
Fruit acid peeling: Removes dead skin cells and unclogs pores, stimulates wound healing
- BHA peeling (in the evening - do not combine with niacinamide serum)
6. Menopause and oily skin
Trigger: Overproduction of androgens (testosterone) in relation to female hormones (estrogen drop) in combination with dry skin
Care for oily skin during menopause:
Cleansing: Gentle facial cleansing to free the skin of excess sebum and dirt particles
- Cleansing gel (evening)
- or cleansing oil (evening)
Calming: Avoid aggressive products such as alcohol, as they also remove moisture. Use a sebum-regulating facial toner.
- Zinc facial toner (morning/evening)
Vitamin B3: Sebum-reducing effect, anti-inflammatory properties, supports the natural skin barrier and treats acne scars and marks.
- Niacinamide Serum (morning/evening)
Fruit acid peeling: Stimulates collagen production, binds moisture and frees the skin from dead cells and sebum deposits
7. Menopause Hair Changes
Hair loss:
To stimulate hair growth on the head, we can offer you the castor oil recommend. It stimulates growth in the hair roots and strengthens them. You can gently warm it, apply it to the hairline or the entire scalp, massage it in gently and leave it on overnight. It is best to wrap a towel around your head to avoid the oil spreading on your pillow. The next morning, wash your hair thoroughly with a mild shampoo.
Oily scalp, dull & lifeless hair:
During menopause, various symptoms often occur on the head that at first glance make no sense: oily scalp, maybe even dandruff, but dry, dull lengths.
Our Volume hairline This is exactly where it comes in. Rice starch gives the roots more volume and absorbs excess sebum. To balance out scalps that quickly become greasy, we have chosen organic birch water as an additional ingredient. It can regulate sebum production and at the same time stimulates the scalp and hair roots. Apple cider vinegar gives your hair shine again without weighing it down. The caffeine it contains can also help to get hair loss under control again.
If you have very dry hair, I recommend you use our care line instead of volume for the conditioner or mask. Both the Care Contioner , as well as the Care hair mask nourish your hair lengths and provide them with sufficient moisture.
8. Holistic tips for your journey through menopause
At JUNGLÜCK, we always look at all skin issues from a holistic point of view. The right care for the needs of the skin is a very good basis, but there are always other factors that should be taken into account in order to achieve a certain effect. This is no different when caring for the body inside and out during the menopause. That is why we have collected some tips here that, in combination with adapted skin care, should help to alleviate the symptoms of the menopause:
- Adapted nutrition during menopause
- Vitamins, antioxidants, trace elements (zinc)
- Drink enough water
- Omega-3 fatty acids: walnuts, fish, linseed oil
- No spicy spices
- Strengthen bones with vitamin D (herring, mackerel, salmon, eggs, mushrooms)
- Promote blood circulation
- Sports sessions, alternating showers and sauna visits
- Facial massages and gentle brush massages
- Dry brushing of legs and arms
- Stress management
- Avoid emotional pressure
- Practice relaxation techniques (e.g. yoga or meditation)
- Learning to accept menopause as a “new start” or “attitude to life”
- Laughing with peers about the symptoms, exchanging ideas, taking the menopause with humor instead of committing to the suffering together
- Consultation with gynecologists
- Hormone replacement therapy is sometimes useful (relieving symptoms, preventing bone fragility, etc.)
- Home remedies for menopause
- Mint and sage for sweating attacks
- Lemon balm and lavender for sleep disorders and mood swings
- Acupuncture for hot flashes
Menopause: It doesn’t have to be a curse
Of course, we want you to feel good in your skin. And that at every age and in every phase of your life. Sometimes that is easier, sometimes less so. Even if this hormonal change can sometimes be a particular challenge: half the population goes through these phases. So you are anything but alone. The menopause is completely natural and part of getting older - even if we perceive it differently. That is why we clearly position ourselves against "anti-aging", skin and age shaming. We stand for well-aging. In doing so, we put the needs of the skin first, because that is what our cosmetics are all about. If you would like to find out more, please take a look at this article .
Sources:
https://www.kup.at/kup/pdf/13472.pdf
https://wechseljahre-verstehen.de/beschwerden/haar-hautprobleme/