How Menopause Affects Your Skin
Our skin naturally gets less resilient as we get older but the dramatic hormonal changes during menopause can greatly accelerate this process in many ways.
Decreased blood flow
Blood flow through the skin is reduced during menopause, so less nutrients and oxygen are available to nourish it. This contributes to the thinning of the skin and a slower cell turnover rate, causing a reduction in the barrier function of the skin and more water loss, dry skin, lines and wrinkles.
Decreased collagen
Menopause also decreases your body’s production of collagen (up to a 30% drop within 5 years of menopause) and the growth factor IGF-1 which keep your skin supple and thick. This combination of thinner skin and drier skin is much more prone to itching, irritation and bruising.
Decreased Elastin
Elastin is a key extracellular matrix protein that is responsible for keeping skin taut. The decrease in elastin during menopause contributes to wrinkles and sagging skin.
Decreased Melanin
Normal melanin levels in the skin are regulated by our hormones, and menopause can upset this balance, increasing susceptibility to sun damage, blotchiness and age spots.
