By Dr Anita Sturnham
Menopause is a natural stage of life that all women will go through. Many women are left to navigate this transitionary period alone and can often feel overwhelmed and unsupported. Menopause marks the time when the ovaries stop releasing eggs each month and periods stop, meaning that women are no longer able to conceive. The average age that this occurs is 51 years but there is a period leading up to menopause called the ‘perimenopause’ where women start to notice the impact of declining hormones on their mental and physical wellbeing. This can start up to ten years before menopause.
The support services to guide women through this transition are often very limited. According to a study published by the British Menopause Society, 50% of women aged 45-65 years, will go through menopause without consulting a medical professional and 50% also reported that menopause negatively impacted their life. These findings reveal a huge need for support and education to help women to navigate their menopause journey.
During perimenopause women often see a more chaotic picture when it comes to their menstrual cycles. Things become very unpredictable. As well as the fluctuating hormones causing irregular periods many women also experience other signs such as mood changes, low energy, dry skin, breakouts, sleep disturbance, memory loss, hot flashes and fatigue. These signs are related to declining hormone levels, particularly Oestrogen.
Oestrogen is our dominant female sex hormone and plays an important role in pretty much every organ in the body. For example, we have receptors for oestrogen in our brain, digestive system, cardiovascular system, bones and skin. Declining hormone levels can therefore impact all of these bodily systems. During menopause, sex hormone levels decline significantly. In particular, your Oestrogen, which is needed for collagen production and to support skin barrier function. Your skincare strategy as you enter menopause should therefore focus on boosting collagen formation, to counteract the hormonal changes.
In terms of supporting the skin from the inside out, there are a number of things that you can do. Ensuring that you can provide your skin with the building blocks it needs to build and repair collagen and connective tissue is key. Your nutrition and supplementation play an important role here. I recommend taking a daily Type 1 marine collagen supplement. Look for one with ingredients that enhance the skin’s ability to build and repair, such as Hyaluronic acid, phytoceramides and vitamin cofactors.
Dr Anita recommends Beauty Complex from Revive Active. It is a super supplement containing 8 active ingredients including 7,000mg of marine collagen, hyaluronic acid, phytoceramides, selenium and biotin to support skin, hair and nails.
Find out more here: https://ie.reviveactive.com/products/beauty-complex
Dr Anita Sturnham is an internationally renowned Doctor, specialising in Dermatology and anti-ageing medicine and is the founder of Nuriss Skincare and Decree Skincare. She has worked with Revive Active as a member of their panel of health experts for a number of years.
Revive Active are a sponsor of the Menopause Success Summit October 2022