What the heck has happened to my skin over the past several years!?  It’s definitely drier, not as luminous and the firmness is diminishing as I write this.  I see small jowls coming on as well.  OMG, is this menopause approaching?  I think so.

Now that I’m in my 47th year, I suppose it shouldn’t be so surprising.  I have used bioidentical hormones on and off for the past 10 years so maybe it’s helped slow these signs of the dreaded M.  I feel I need to address this issue head on since the majority of my clients are in peri-menopause or menopause right now.  What better time to become an expert than now!

If you’re like me, I want to tackle a problem where it starts.  For menopausal skin, that’s with how the hormones are changing.  Estrogen is very involved in the normal function of the skin. It directly affects the function of key cells in the skin, like the fibroblasts (produces collagen and elastin), keratinocytes (closely involved in skin protection) and melanocytes (involved in evenness of skin color). It also helps regulate hair follicle function (hair production) as well as sebaceous gland activity (producing skin oils). Estrogen also grabs onto water and holds it in the dermis, keeping the skin plump. With the extreme decrease in estrogen that occurs in the 50s, the skin deflates and wrinkles become more pronounced. Microcirculation may be less efficient and the skin thins from lack of nutrients and oxygen.

In my opinion, researching the effectiveness of bioidentical hormone replacement is worth the effort.  I suggest talking with a specialist in bioidentical hormone therapy and slow/prevent skin issues where they start-the declining hormones.

Gina LaMonica

-coming 12/21 Menopause and Skin Dryness