What happens to your skin when you enter menopause?

My menopause journey

Ciao Belli, my name is Lina Sacco, co-founder of Venustas Estetica. I wanted to share with you my menopause journey.

When I entered menopause at the age of 52, I was completely unprepared for the physical and emotional changes that awaited me. Like many women, my understanding of menopause was limited to a few basic facts: your period stops, and you occasionally experience hot flashes. Beyond that, I didn’t have much insight into what the process truly involved.

I vividly recall a moment of realisation during an afternoon at a local outdoor market. I had casually walked up to a sunglasses stand, eager to try on the latest trend. But as I gazed into the small mirror, something caught my eye, and it wasn’t the sunglasses. To my shock, I noticed how enlarged my pores had become. I was taken aback. The reflection staring back at me didn’t feel like my skin, and it left me bewildered.

At the time, I hadn’t connected this sudden change in my skin’s appearance to what was happening inside my body. Instead, I wondered if I had missed something in my skincare routine. Was I not taking proper care of my skin? Or was this just an inevitable sign of ageing?

The insecurity I felt in that moment lingered as I grappled with my changing appearance and the unfamiliar symptoms of menopause. Little did I know that this was just one of the many ways menopause would impact not only my body but also my confidence and self-image. So, off I went on a quest to understand what was really happening to my body.

Over the next couple of years, I dedicated myself to researching, seeking professional advice from gynaecologists and endocrinologists, and engaging in countless conversations with women who had already walked this path. I especially found myself turning to women like my mother, who were well into their late 70s. These women had gracefully accepted the changes that come with menopause, embracing what was often referred to as "the change of life." They lived through it without the benefits of modern science and medical advancements that we have today.

For them, there was little guidance, few treatment options, and almost no conversation around the experience. Yet they found ways to contend with what they had, relying on inner strength and resilience.

Talking to these women, I was inspired by their wisdom but also motivated to challenge the status quo. I wasn’t ready to simply accept things as they were. I began questioning doctors and specialists, pushing for answers and alternative ways to support my body through this transition. This process taught me something invaluable: never underestimate the power of your own will when it comes to taking care of yourself. It’s crucial to stay curious, proactive, and committed to your well-being.

Through my research and conversations, I came to understand the changes my body was going through. And so, for those just beginning this journey, I’ve summarised the key changes you can expect and how best to manage them:

Understanding mature skin, especially post-menopause, is important because hormonal changes can significantly impact the skin’s texture, elasticity, and overall appearance. Here's an overview of what happens to your skin post-menopause and how to care for it:

   

   

Key Changes in Mature Skin Post-Menopause

What Happens to Your Skin During Menopause: A Complete Guide

Menopause is a time of profound change, not just for your internal health but for your skin as well. While most women enter this phase concentrating on the typical symptoms—hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings—they are frequently surprised by how much their skin also changes. As hormones fluctuate and oestrogen levels drop, the skin goes through a transformation that can leave many wondering, "What happened to my skin? Why do I look so worn out all of a sudden?

In this post, I’ll dive into the most common skin changes during menopause, what’s happening beneath the surface, and how you can adapt your skincare routine to meet the needs of your evolving skin.

  

  

Dryness: Your Skin's New Normal

 

One of the most noticeable changes during menopause is how dry your skin becomes. As oestrogen levels decrease, so does your skin’s natural oil production. The result? Skin that once felt smooth and supple might now look tired, flaky, and saggy.

 

What’s Happening?

Oestrogen plays a big role in maintaining your overall skin’s health and moisture balance by stimulating oil production. As your body produces less oestrogen, the skin struggles to hold on to its production line.

 

What You Can Do?

Moisturise every day; use richer, more emollient moisturisers that lock in hydration. Look for ingredients like hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and glycerine, which help your skin retain moisture.

Use gentle cleansers depending on your skin sensitivity; swap out harsh cleansers with creamier and non-drying. Avoid alcohol-based products, as they can make dryness worse.

 

 

   

 

Thinning Skin: Less collagen means more fragility

   
As we age, your body’s collagen production naturally declines, and this process speeds up during menopause. Collagen is the protein responsible for keeping skin firm and plump. With less of it, your skin becomes thinner and more prone to fine lines, wrinkles, loss of tissue, and even minor injuries like cuts or bruises.
 

What’s Happening?

The loss of oestrogen affects collagen production. Studies suggest that women can lose up to 30% of their skin’s collagen within the first five years of menopause. This contributes to a sagging, more ageing appearance.
   

What You Can Do?

We are lucky that there are many new products and procedures these days to give back part of our youthfulness, but for those who don’t want to take the extreme road, look into products with retinoids, peptides, or growth factors to stimulate collagen production. These ingredients help improve elasticity and firm up thinning skin; however, never forget sun protection. UV rays accelerate collagen breakdown, so wearing a broad-spectrum SPF daily is crucial to prevent further damage.

  

   

Increased Sensitivity: Reactivity Ramps Up

   
Another common skin change during menopause is increased sensitivity. Suddenly, products you’ve used for years might cause irritation or redness. This heightened reactivity is due to the skin barrier becoming weaker as it loses essential lipids and moisture.
 

What’s Happening?

With a weakened skin barrier, your skin is more vulnerable to irritants and environmental aggressors. Ingredients like alcohol, strong fragrances, and acids might now trigger inflammation or breakouts.
 

What You Can Do?

Simplify your routine, unfortunately, this can be a trial and error trying to find a product that will now agree with your skin. Stick to fewer, gentler products, and opt for those with calming ingredients.
 
Patch test, always test new products on a small area of your skin before applying them to your entire face.

 

Sagging and Loss of Firmness: Gravity Takes Over

 
During menopause, it’s common to notice your skin sagging, especially around the jawline, neck, and cheeks. This loss of firmness is tied to the decline in collagen and elastin, the two proteins responsible for keeping skin tight and bouncy.
 

What’s Happening?

When oestrogen levels drop, your skin loses elasticity. Combined with the natural effects of gravity, this leads to sagging, particularly in areas with thinner skin like the neck and around the eyes.
 

What You Can Do?

For firming treatments, look for products with niacinamide and peptides to help firm the skin. Professional treatments like radiofrequency or ultrasound therapies can also help tighten sagging areas.

Neck care: the tissues on your neck are thinner than the skin on your face, making it more susceptible to gravity and age-related changes. This is also a result of losing volume in the midsection of the face. So don’t neglect your neck! Incorporate serums and moisturisers specifically designed to firm and smooth out this area to appear less crepey. And always apply SPF.

 

Pores Appear Larger

  
Many women are surprised when they notice their pores appearing larger during menopause. This happens due to a combination of the skin thinning and losing elasticity, causing pores to look more prominent. (Remember my journey)
 

What’s Happening?

As your skin loses volume and elasticity, pores look larger because the elasticity is now loose, making them appear enlarged.
 

What You Can Do?

Exfoliate gently; use gentle exfoliants like salicylic acid, lactic acid, and glycolic acid; these all work well in cleaning out clogged pores and prevent them from stretching further. Avoid over-exfoliating and avoid using granules, as this can aggravate sensitive skin and cause injury.
 

Be aware that a pore is an opening; it cannot shrink. Product ingredients like retinol and niacinamide can help minimise the appearance of enlarged pores over time.

 

 

 

Hyperpigmentation: Dark spots pop up

  

As if fine lines and dryness weren’t enough, many women also experience an increase in dark spots, or hyperpigmentation, during menopause. These spots are usually the result of long-term sun exposure.

Sun worshippers over the years who remember those sunny days at the beach with the reef oils, which smelled divine, and zero protection are the result of hyperpigmentation and uneven skin tone. Avoid too much sun and the risk of sunburn; this can lead to an inflammatory response. It will worsen current areas of hyperpigmentation and create new ones combined with hormonal changes. 
  

What’s Happening?

Melanin production becomes more uneven during menopause, leading to age spots and hyperpigmentation. The skin’s natural repair process slows, making it harder to recover from sun damage.
  

What You Can Do?

 

For brightening serums, look for ingredients like vitamin C, kojic acid, and liquorice root extract to lighten dark spots and even out skin tone.

 

Sunscreen, Again, I cannot stress this enough; sunscreen is your best defence! Always use SPF 30 or higher to protect against future sun damage. 

 

 

 

     

  

I’ll leave you with this thought

Menopause is a journey that will continue for many years into post-menopause, and the changes to your skin are just one part of it. While it can be overwhelming to deal with all these shifts at once, there’s always hope and a solution. With the right choice in skincare, routine, and a proactive approach. You can manage many of these changes and continue to enjoy healthy, glowing skin.

The key is to listen to your skin’s needs, stay informed, and be open to adjusting your routine as you go. After all, this stage of life brings not just challenges but also the wisdom to care for yourself in deeper, more thoughtful ways.

 

Be consistent and stay beautiful Belli!

 

Baci Ciao!