The Importance of Proper Skin Care After Menopause
Like it or not, aging can cause a variety of changes to your body. The health and appearance of your skin is one of the most important things to focus on as you age. This is especially true after menopause, when a lack of youthful hormones can cause such unspeakable skin afflictions as atrophic withering, slackness, wrinkling, and progressive dryness and scaliness.
Postmenopausal skin can also become increasingly fragile, making it prone to bruising and tearing. Add to that the potential years of sun damage and intrinsic aging, and you have a long list of reasons why proper skin care is all the more important as we get older. Let’s take a look at why this is, and exactly what you can do to help keep yourself glowing with youthful energy.
Why Does Our Skin Change After Menopause?
Okay, so you understand that aging definitely takes a toll on skin, but why is that exactly? And furthermore, why is there such a particular drop in skin quality following menopause? Well, it turns out that there is actually a number of both chemical and biological reasons.
- Reason 1: Decreased Skin Cell Renewal
As we age, the top layer of skin, known as the epidermis, begins to flatten and thin. As a result, the skin cells of this layer have trouble renewing themselves as rapidly as they once did. This means that damaged skin can not heal itself at the same speed that it could in its younger years. Additionally, this epidermal cell layer becomes drier after menopause, resulting in scaly and rough skin. - Reason 2: Reduction in Collagen
Collagen is the main structural protein throughout most parts of the body including the skin. In the first five years after menopause, the second layer of skin (known as the dermis) loses 30% of its collagen. This affects the “tightness” of your skin as well as its ability to hold a firm shape. - Reason 3: Water Abatement
Also in the skin’s second layer, important water-binding chemicals called dermal glycosaminoglycans are decreased, resulting in postmenopausal retaining of water and giving your skin a gellatinous appearance. - Reason 4: Oxidative Stress
Oxidative damage to your skin greatly accelerates following menopause. This causes greater damage to skin structures like cells, collagen, and elastin that is beyond the normal amount caused by sun damage or natural aging.
Change Up Your Skin Care Routine to Keep Up After Menopause
So now that you understand exactly what menopause-associated processes are and how they can contribute to excessive skin aging, you’re probably wondering what you can do to stay ahead of the game. Below are a few suggestions for how you can change up your usual skin care routine to help lessen the effects of menopause on your skin’s look, feel, and overall health.
- Build Up Collagen Levels, Hyaluronic Acid Levels, and Cell Structure in Your Skin
This is a particularly important step towards your goal of taught, bouncy skin. Be sure to look for products that contain professional formulations of retinoids like retinol, prescription tretinoin (a.k.a. Retin A), and high amounts of Vitamin C. Increased levels of hyaluronic acid (a healing agent), such as those found in glycolic acid products, can also help to build your skin’s strength. - Rejuvenate Your Skin’s Outermost Stratum Corneum Layer
Rebuilding the appearance of outer skin cells will brighten your skin and give you a more youthful “glowing” appearance. Using products that contain glycolic acid, retinoids, and BHAs like salicylic acid will go a long way in this regard. - Hydrate Skin and Avoid Drying Products or Excessive Sun Exposure
As discussed earlier, postmenopausal skin is particularly prone to dryness. Because of this, you should use only sensitive skin cleansers and deeply hydrating moisturizers. In addition, never forget to apply professional antioxidant products and broad spectrum sunscreen if you plan to be out in the sun for extended periods of time.
What Else Can I Do to Ensure Proper Skin Health Following Menopause?
We’re glad you asked! As a women entering the later stages of life, keeping up on an extensive skin care routine can be a real challenge. Especially as new information and products are continuously released. Quite frankly, it can be a lot to handle.
Another postmenopausal option that you can explore when it comes to skin care and overall youthful appearance is natural hormone replacement therapy. At Renewed Vitality, we offer safe, effective hormone imbalance treatment options for both women and men at all stages of life. To get more information about hormone therapy methods, don’t hesitate to contact the experts at Renewed Vitality today!
Diet is a major part of how our bodies operate. Food is the fuel that we put into the burner, and so it can largely dictate how our bodies grow and respond to the environment, and it can even affect hormone production. While there are several other factors regarding the production of testosterone, the food we eat plays a role. Let’s unpack the causes of lowered testosterone, and what can be done about it.
What Are The Causes Of Low Testosterone?
There can be a wide range of factors when it comes to lowered testosterone production. Over time, production can naturally wane and decrease, or it can be related to pituitary or adrenal gland issues. Diet can also play a part. Some foods provide the nutrients necessary for healthy testosterone production, while others can impede it. Here are some foods you should eat—and some you should avoid—when seeking to boost your testosterone levels.
Food To Boost
Diet doesn’t always return immediate results when it comes to hormone production. Think of it as a way to improve your internal environment so that your body can more easily produce testosterone. Eating foods rich in these nutrients that your body needs to produce testosterone is a better option than just taking supplements because of the overall effect of a healthy diet.
Vitamin D Low-Fat Milk
Vitamin D is a major resource the body needs when it comes to hormone production, specifically testosterone. Milk is an important component of any diet to develop and maintain strong bones and teeth, but with the added benefit of a vitamin D boost, you’re further increasing the benefits.
Zinc Rich Foods
Red meat, beans, and seeds are all excellent sources of zinc. This mineral is important in testosterone production, and when eaten in the right amounts, can provide benefits beyond simply boosting zinc levels. However, eating too much red meat has been linked to serious health risks like raised cholesterol and potential bowel cancer.
Fatty Fish & Fish Oil
Fatty fish—like salmon, sardines, and trout—are full of important omega-3 fatty acids. Fatty acids have been found to have a positive correlation towards improved testicular function, and therefore improved testosterone production. Other benefits include reducing risk factors for heart disease, improved eye health, and even combat depression and anxiety.
Eggs
More specifically, egg yolks. These are great sources of vitamin D as well as other nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, and more. While you need to keep an eye on your intake if you have known cholesterol issues, most people can safely incorporate this nutrient rich food without much concern.
What To Avoid
Plastic-Wrapped or Canned Foods
According to a 2013 study, those who worked in environments with lots of BPA had lowered testosterone levels. While the average consumer isn’t exposed to nearly that level of BPA, one article found that a vast majority of men attending a fertility clinic had BPA in urine samples. While reducing your intake of foods prepackaged in this way may not make all of the difference, it can’t hurt, and encourages eating fresher foods.
Highly Processed Foods
Trans fats have been linked to decreased testicular function in men. These kinds of fats are most commonly found in highly processed foods that are also high in extra sugar and sodium. Whenever you look at something that might be an easy-to-grab snack or is extra convenient, take a look at the nutritional label to see what you’re putting into your body.
Alcohol
Before we get ahead of ourselves, this does not mean that alcohol should be avoided at all costs, but drinking in excess can have detrimental effects. In one study, it was found that it had a reversing behavior across genders; men who drank more had lower testosterone, and women who drank more had higher.
How Do You Plan For A Testosterone Rich Diet?
Whenever you set out to correct bodily function with diet, it’s important to discuss this with a hormone specialist or a professional nutritionist. Everyone’s bodies work differently, so talking to a professional about your concerns is the best way to get a baseline for yourself.
In the case of lowered testosterone, diet is a great place to start, but a doctor may have other recommendations. Exercise and hormone replacement therapies can also be incorporated alongside dietary changes to further improve testosterone production.
