Hormones affecting the skin in menopause
Share
Changes in a woman's skin during Menopause is an issue for women primarily because of the decrease in Estrogen levels. Estrogen is a hormone that helps keep skin hydrated and elastic, so when it decreases, the skin can become dry and thin. This can lead to wrinkles and sagging skin.
Testosterone is another hormone that affects the skin during menopause. Testosterone levels tend to drop as women age, which can cause thinning hair and acne breakouts. Importantly, Testosterone is another hormone that affects the skin during menopause. Testosterone helps to produce sebum, which is an oily-type substance, that keeps the skin moist and supple. Importanlty, sebaceous glands produce sebum, and when testosterone levels drop, the glands produce less sebum, leading to dry and flakey skin.
In addition to Estrogen and Testosterone, other hormones can also affect the skin during menopause. Progesterone is a hormone that helps regulate the menstrual cycle, and can also cause dryness and thinning of the skin. Thyroid hormones can also affect the skin, as they help regulate metabolism and can cause dryness and wrinkles. Hormones play a key role in regulating a woman's body functions. They control growth, development, metabolism, reproduction, mood, sleep patterns, and sexual function in peri menopausal, menopausal and post menopausal women. In addition, hormones regulate the immune system and influence blood pressure, cholesterol, and bone density.
Hot flashes can also occur in menopausal women due to hormonal imbalances. Hot flashes are caused by a sudden decrease in Estrogen levels, which can cause the body to overheat and sweat. This can lead to skin irritation and redness.
The average age of onset menopause in women in Australia is between 45 and 51 years old, although symptoms can often appear earlier or later. Hormonal imbalances in menopause also contribute to other health issues, such as osteoporosis, heart disease, and depression.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/perimenopause/symptoms-causes/syc-20354666
Why do skin changes occur in menopause?
As indicated, skin changes in menopause occur because of the drop in Estrogen levels that occur during this time. Estrogen production is identified as the leading hormone of note in this area. Importantly, Estrogen helps to maintain moisture in the skin by keeping it soft and supple. It also stimulates cell production, which leads to thicker, healthier-looking skin. When Estrogen drops, skin becomes drier and thinner. This process ultimately causes fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin. As a result, menopausal women experience many different types of skin changes. Some of which include:
https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/ceramide
What role does Estrogen play?
Estrogen plays an important role in maintaining healthy skin. It keeps skin moisturised and protects against sun damage. It also promotes collagen production, which makes skin firmer and more elastic. Collagen is one of the main components of connective tissue, which gives skin its strength and resilience. Without enough collagen, skin loses its firmness and elasticity.
When Estrogen levels decrease with menopause, skin begins to lose its ability to retain water. The skin then starts to become drier and thinner. As a result, fine lines, wrinkles, sagging skin, and even acne are common. The role of estrogen in the skin is complex. While low levels of estrogen are associated with less collagen and increased wrinkling, high levels of Estrogen have been linked to acne. The exact reason for this link is not known.
How does Estrogen work on the skin?
Estrogen works on the skin through two different mechanisms. Firstly, it increases the amount of water in cells. Water is essential for keeping skin hydrated and moist. Secondly, Estrogen stimulates the production of collagen, which improves skin texture and tone.
In addition, Estrogen regulates sebum production, which lubricates the skin and prevents acne. Sebum is produced by glands located on the face, neck, chest, back, arms, legs, and genitals. The principal role of sebum is to protect the skin from drying out.
Estrogen production can be improved in the body by taking supplements containing bioidentical estrogens (hormone replacement therapy). Bioidentical estrogens are identical to those naturally occurring in your body. They have been shown to improve skin conditions like dryness, flaking, and wrinkling. Importantly, Estrogen also helps to keep skin smooth and firm by stimulating the production of Elastin.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/menopause/in-depth/hormone-therapy/art-20046372
Aging Skin & Elastin
Elastin is important for skin because it allows skin to stretch without breaking. Elastin is produced by fibroblasts and helps keep skin flexible and resilient. Without Elastin, skin loses its ability to bounce back after stretching. Over time, elastin breaks down and skin becomes less resilient. This results in wrinkles, saggy skin, and other signs of aging.
When you age, your skin produces less Elastin. This primarily means that your skin has less ability to rebound from stretching. In fact, when you get older, your skin actually gets tighter. This is why people often say that they look younger when they’re pregnant or nursing. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, hormones stimulate the production of Elastase, a protein that breaks down Elastin. As a result, during pregnancy, skin can actually look smoother and softer.
When you're young, Elastin is constantly being replaced. However, when you get older, Elastin loss rapidly accelerates. By the time a woman reaches the menopausal stage of her lifetime, she may have lost up to half of her original volume of Elastin. As a result, skin begins to sag and wrinkle. Skin sagging and wrinkles becomes evident on the skin's epidermis. The deeper layers of skin are not affected until much later.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3601260
Estrogen and skin biology
As outlined above, Estrogen plays a major role in skin biology. It has many functions within the body, including maintaining skin hydration, protecting against UV radiation and promoting collagen production.
Estrogen has many important beneficial and protective functions in skin health. There are several factors that affect the appearance of human female facial features, including age, genetics, hormones, and lifestyle choices. Many postmenopausal woman experience a sudden increase in skin wrinkling several months after their menstrual periods stop. Menopause can cause hypogonadism, which accelerates aging by causing thinning of the epidermis, increasing the number and depth of facial lines, increasing the rate at which the dermal collagen breaks down, decreasing the thickness of the dermis, and reducing the ability of the dermis to retain moisture.
Source: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
The Skin's Epidermis
The skin is made up of two layers; the outer layer is called the epidermis, while the inner layer is known as dermis. In the epidermis, Estrogen increases the thickness of the stratum corneum (the top-most layer of the skin), which provides protection from bacteria, viruses, chemicals, and ultraviolet rays. The stratum corneum contains keratinocytes, which are cells responsible for producing new skin cells. Keratinocytes produce about 10,000 new cells every day.
In the dermis, Estrogen stimulates fibroblasts, which produce collagen. Fibroblasts are found throughout the body and create the connective tissues that give skin its strength and resilience, such as ligaments, tendons, muscles, bones, and cartilage. Importantly, fibroblasts also produce Elastin, which helps keep skin elastic and firm.
Other ways of improving the skin's condition
The application of a serum can also improve the skin's condition.If you are suffering from the effects of aging and sagging skin, Genova Skincare’s Firming Cream can help bring back your skin’s rigidity. Genova’s Firming Cream is an extremely well-balanced formulation that intensively improves the skin’s natural elasticity for a sleeker, stylish silhouette. The nourishing elements of the firming cream can help to dramatically improve skin tone and elasticity. Genova’s Firming Cream also tones and helps to promote youthful-looking contours, for younger-looking skin.
Genova’s fresh, silky Firming Cream penetrates deep into the skin very quickly, delivering superior age-defying actives to lift, tone, and tighten the skin’s structure. Importantly, skin will be left feeling silky soft, without any greasy residue, allowing the application of makeup almost immediately after use. Not only does Genova's Firming Cream assist in firming, tightening, and refining skin around your entire body, it also acts as a fantastic moisturiser for everyday facial use. Simply apply a fingertip volume of Genova Firming Cream twice per day to the facial area (morning and night) in order to get amazing results in as little as two months. Click here to lean more about this outstanding product.
Effects of Estrogen on the skin in Menopause:
Estrogen has been shown to have many beneficial effects on the skin. It regulates sebum production, reduces inflammation, prevents acne, helps maintain normal blood flow, improves sleep quality, increases libido, and decreases anxiety. It also promotes cell growth and production of Collagen, which keeps skin soft and supple.
Decline in Estrogen levels
As estrogen levels decline, there is a decrease in the number of fibroblast cells in the skin, which leads to less collagen and elastin being produced. This results in the skin becoming thinner and losing its elasticity. As we age, our bodies begin to lose their ability to make enough estrogen naturally. When estrogen levels drop, the skin begins to show signs of aging. Skin becomes thin, loses its elasticity, wrinkles appear, and fine lines become deeper.
Importantly, Estrogen replacement therapy has been shown to increase the amount of collagen in the skin for Perimenopausal women.
Besides Estrogen administration, there are other methods to improve skin health during menopause. Incorporating alterations to one's lifestyle, such as consuming nutritive food and engaging in exercise can assist in keeping the skin healthy. Similarly, products with antioxidants and peptides can guard the skin from environmental harm and lessen the visibility of wrinkles. Lastly, utilizing sunblock every day is essential for defending the skin.
Conclusion
In conclusion, understanding the hormonal changes in menopause and how they affect the skin is crucial for maintaining overall health. There are many different treatments, both medical and natural, that can provide relief and help reduce the appearance of some of these skin changes. With a better knowledge of how hormones affect your skin during menopause—and with the right treatment plan—you can keep your skin looking youthful and glowing.
It is important to remember that the effects of menopause on the skin can vary from person to person. It is best to consult with a doctor or dermatologist to determine the best course of action for your individual needs. Additionally, it is important to stay informed about new treatments and products that may be beneficial in maintaining healthy skin during menopause. With proper care and attention, you can keep your skin looking and feeling its best.