Most women will enter the perimenopausal phase at about the age of 45 years but this obviously varies from person to person. With the onset of perimenopause and menopause, there are hormonal changes most notably – the slow decline of the female hormone, oestrogen. This in turn produces changes in the woman’s skin and she will therefore have to adapt her skin routine to these changes.
The skin becomes thinner, more alkaline, and there is increased transepidermal water loss leading to dry skin, less collagen and elastin in the dermis, flushing and possible acne breakouts.
Dr Webster answers some of the common skincare questions about menopause:
What are the skincare concerns that women in this age group come to you about the most often?
- Flushing that may lead to rosacea
- Adult acne breakouts
- Dry skin with wrinkles looking more obvious
- Sun freckles
- Red broken capillaries
- Dull skin with loss of elasticity
- Sagging of the skin
Which are the key products one should be incorporating into your skincare routine in your 50s?
Cleanser (once or twice a day depending on skin dryness and sensitivity)
Antioxidant Serum to be applied in the morning.
Daytime Moisturiser like
NeoStrata Skin Active Matrix Support with SPF30
Sunscreen.
Night Serum like
NeoStrata Skin Active Tri-therapy Lifting Serum
Night Cream
If the skin is very dry, then I recommend a gentle but thorough cleansing at night and to refresh the skin in the morning, I recommend simply using a Micellar cleansing solution on a cotton wool pad.
What should one be spending more on when you’re 50 and older?
Introduce a Retinol to your skincare regimen if you are not already using one at 50+ years. This should be introduced low and slow i.e. start off with a low concentration of retinol and introduce it to the skin slowly, about 3 times a week or until your skin tolerates it. More modern Retinols are often encapsulated, reducing irritation. It is however still a good idea to be cautious when first using a Retinol product. Pure Retinol should be used only at night-time.
Retinol stimulates collagen production and makes the stratum corneum more compact, making the skin feel smoother.
Learn more about Retinols.
Dry skin, bumpy, scaly skin on the arms and legs;
I would recommend a cream that contains Alpha Hydroxy as well as Polyhydroxy Acids, three times per week.
If you have been diagnosed with actinic keratoses (pre-malignant skin lesions) or skin cancer;
Use a high factor, broad spectrum sunscreen that contains antioxidants as well as enzymes that help with DNA Repair. I also recommend Nicotinamide (Vitamin B3) orally at a dosage of 500mg twice a day.
Any specific ingredients to look out for in your skincare products?
These are some of the ingredients I would recommend for the following skin concerns as you age:
Dry Skin
- Hyaluronic Acid
- Ceramides
- Glycerin
- Free Fatty Acids (lipids)
- Shea Butter
- Polyhydroxy Acids
Skin Brightening
- Vitamin C
- Niacinamide
- Glycolic Acid
- Arbutin
- Azelaic Acid
- Liquorice extract
Anti-Ageing
- Retinol
- Peptides
- Growth Factors
- Bakuchiol
Treatments that you would particularly recommend?
I personally recommend the following treatments in my Dermatology practice and laser clinic, Dermalaser:
Photo-ageing
Chemical Peels of varying strengths, starting off with a mild peel such as the SkinCeuticals GL Peel or a deeper peel for a very sun-damaged skin with wrinkles and sun freckles, such as the pHformula Trichloroacetic Acid (TCA) Peel.
Photo-ageing and post-acne scars
Dermapen4 (medical micro-needling) on its own or combined with the Dp Dermaceuticals ÜBER Pro Peel or PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma), otherwise known as the ‘Vampire Facial’.
Sun freckles (superficial brown marks) and broken red capillaries on the face and light skin rejuvenation
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) – this laser-like device uses varying wavelengths to target unsightly red as well as brown marks.
Tightening of sagging, loose skin and wrinkles
Morpheus8 Radio-frequency combined with medical micro-needling.
Injectables include Botulinum toxin which is especially useful in relaxing muscles that cause frown, forehead and periorbital wrinkles (crow’s feet).
Other injectables include hyaluronic acid such as JUVÉDERM®, which plumps up the skin, and collagen biostimulators, which include poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) – trade name Sculpta – that is injected into the dermis to stimulate collagen production. As your skin ages, it loses some of its structural building blocks such as hyaluronic acid, collagen and elastin that support the skin in your youth.
