Hormonal imbalances often show up right on your skin. Changes in your hormones dry out the skin, making it less supple and giving it that ruffled, crepey effect, especially on the neck.
As estrogen levels decline, it's common for noticeable changes to the skin to develop. Have you reached menopause and began noticing that you have crepey, sagging skin? Well, that loss of estrogen is the culprit.
Several studies suggest there are benefits from using bioidentical hormones to alleviate symptoms from dry, itchy, thin and fragile skin, as these hormone treatments can increase skin hydration and reduce skin atrophy, according to a review published January 2019 in the Dermatology Online Journal. Dr.
Estrogen deficiency following menopause results in atrophic skin changes and acceleration of skin aging. Estrogens significantly modulate skin physiology, targeting keratinocytes, fibroblasts, melanocytes, hair follicles and sebaceous glands, and improve angiogenesis, wound healing and immune responses.
Estrogen Replacement Therapy May Increase Collagen
As collagen production declines, the skin can start to sag and develop more wrinkles. However, estrogen may increase how much collagen your skin produces to help prevent these issues.
“Estrogen-deficient skin can be characterized by dryness, wrinkling, thinness and itching. Interestingly, many women don't associate that with menopause, just with getting older,” says Dr. Berson.
With non-surgical skin tightening, cosmetic surgeons can effectively tighten moderately lax or "crepey" skin on the face, neck and body, helping patients improve their appearance and postpone the need for surgery.
Adding emollients and hydroxy acid cleansers to your skin care routine not only helps keep your skin from becoming crepey, but it also helps prevent further damage if your skin is already lax. Dr. Kassouf recommends retinol topical creams to help reduce that crepey look.
Smoking, sleep deprivation and consuming too much alcohol can contribute to crepey skin, as can rapid weight loss or gain.
Whilst nothing can reverse the process of ageing, hormone balancing can help reduce some of the most signs of ageing and can help delay the process, keeping you looking and feeling younger for longer.
Increasing water intake and general moisturizing of the skin can help prevent the development of crepey skin.
You're most likely to notice crepey skin on your arms, hands, and neck. It's more common as you get older and begins to appear after age 40.
Evidence-based treatments such as retinol, micro-needling, and cryolipolysis are effective ways to reverse the appearance of crepey skin. However, they are much more effective when combined with the right skincare routine.
1) Vitamin A
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that is important for vision and the skin. It's also important for healthy skin, hair and nails. The best sources of vitamin A include carrots, squash, eggs, milk, and fish.
It's essential to get protein-rich foods to encourage healthy, tighter skin and balanced collagen production. While collagen peptides, bone broth, and salmon may be the richer sources of protein, there are plenty of plant-based sources out there as well.
Some amino acids, the building blocks of protein, help speed the repair and regeneration of skin cells and collagen, which is the protein that gives your skin as a structural support. Collagen is what makes your skin look firm and supple.
EstroGel® 0.06% (estradiol gel) is a prescription medicine that contains estradiol, an estrogen hormone. It is a gel that is applied to the skin—one pump, on one arm, once a day. EstroGel can help manage some of the symptoms of menopause.
A moisturizer with hyaluronic acid or glycerin can be especially helpful. See your dermatologist if your skin still feels dry. Exfoliation or microdermabrasion may help, but you want to see your dermatologist before trying one of these.
Collagen levels also dip with the decrease in estrogen which causes your skin to become thinner. The hyaluronic acid produced by estrogen helps your skin look younger and helps you maintain your body mass, energy and metabolism levels.