Cyou see yourself different: your skin changes, your shapes change, adryness and dryness of the skin call into question usual skincare, localized or widespread roundness generates dissatisfaction. These are some of the transformations that occur in the female body during the menopause period. Often experienced as a stigma, a stain that is still difficult to talk about.
«Women are ashamed of it, they hide it even from their friends. By making a serious mistake, because knowing the cosmetic routine, professional treatments and the right lifestyle means knowing the tools to best face, and with beauty, this completely normal period in a woman’s life” explains Martina Colombari, ambassador and face of Vichy’s “No break in menopause” campaign.
Menopause & beauty, what happens to the skin
The World Health Organization defines menopause as the “permanent cessation of menstruation due to loss of ovarian follicular activity”, with a process that develops in three eras: peri-menopause (45-50 years), menopause (50-60 years) and post-menopause (over 60 years).
«This period is characterized by a marked estrogen deficiency. These are female hormones that modulate skin physiology, carrying out various functions: they interact with the receptors that stimulate fibroblasts by intervening in the process of collagen and elastin synthesis, they increase cellular synthesis and turnover and the production of hyaluronic acid” explains Elisabetta Fulgione , specialist in Dermatology and Venereology at the Luigi Vanvitelli University of Campania and national treasurer of Sime (Italian Society of Aesthetic Medicine).
«The hormonal alterations manifest themselves at the skin level with dryness, less elasticity, the accentuation of skin laxity, blemishes and wrinkles». In short, the skin is in a new condition. And the usual face creams are no longer enough.
Naomi Watts confessed to having entered menopause very early (@naomiwatts).
How to adapt your beauty routine during menopause
Together with gentle cleansingwhich does not alter the balance of the skin barrier, to be performed with cleansing oils, creams and mousses, and the periodic use of an exfoliating treatment, dermocosmetics suggests the use of ad hoc products. «Hybrid specialties are ideal, which combine hydrating and nourishing agents in a single formula, also containing UV filters.
Yes also to antioxidant agents such as vitamins C and Eand ingredients capable of restoring tone such as proxylane, an agent obtained from xylose, a sugar obtained from beech wood” specifies Elisabetta Fulgione.
Phytoestrogens should also not be overlooked. «These are compounds of plant origin capable of stimulating the production of collagen. They are extracted from plants such as sage and African kigelia” explains cosmetologist Umberto Borellini, member of Sicc (Italian Society of Chemistry and Cosmetological Sciences). “In particular, soy contains a very effective isoflavone, genistein, a natural estrogen which represents the most effective molecule in managing skin variations in this period of female existence. Furthermore, it has a strong protective action from solar radiation, hindering photo-aging.”
The needs of the body in menopause
Pads on the hips and protruding abdomen are frequently occurring conditions. AND estrogens are still the main culprit. «In fertile age they also have a direct action on the metabolism of fats, that is, they serve to reduce their accumulation, so that they can be used as energy» says the dermatologist.
«With their drastic decline, the body develops a greater tendency to store those consumed through food» explains Dr. Fulgione. To get rid of the superfluous, however, a balanced diet alone is not enough. And doing physical activity is essential. «It doesn’t just help with weight loss. Constant exercise, in fact, preserves the tone of the muscles and, an aspect not to be overlooked, preserves their ability to consume calories even at rest.”
A support comes from cutting-edge professional aesthetics, which develops increasingly targeted protocols to adequately address this type of problem. «The dedicated Belly Plus method for menopausal women, for example, exploits an exclusive blend of five essential oils, appropriately combined because they perform specific actions. The procedure begins with the application of cinnamon, with a thermogenic and lipolytic effect, and ends with mentholated eucalyptus, a powerful hepatic, renal and diuretic drainer. Finally, this is followed by the application of a plaster cast, which increases the body temperature to activate the metabolism of the adipocytes” says Raffaella Gornati, general manager of Marzia Clinic.
Aesthetic medicine also represents further help. «The most effective remodeling therapies in the treatment of areas with fatty deposits and laxity are cryolipolysis, based on the freezing and destruction of accumulated adipocytes; radiofrequency, with a lipolytic action thanks to electromagnetic waves capable of raising the basal metabolism, and finally focused ultrasound and low frequency lipolaser” concludes the dermatologist.
Inconveniences & solutions, word to the expert
Hormonal fluctuations create new conditions in the organism. Understanding them means dealing with them adequately, with the support of cosmetics and aesthetic medicine. There Dr. Gabriela Baiocchia gynecologist expert in menopause and in the surgical and non-surgical treatment of urinary incontinence, answers the most frequently asked questions.
How to manage excessive perspiration?
Hormonal fluctuations affect body thermoregulation. The so-called appear boils, linked to reduced estrogen production, also responsible for modulating these mechanisms. Hot flashes occur with a sudden and intense increase in the sensation of body heat which, just as quickly, gives way to the appearance of cold chills.
This condition also determines a modification of sweating, both in the ways in which it presents itself (it occurs in more abundant quantities than usual), and in the smell, which becomes more intense and acrid. In these cases it is It is advisable to use deodorants based on aluminum salts.
According to available studies, this type of minerals seems to help deal with this problem calmly because, once absorbed, they can modify and influence the signals coming from the brain destined for the receptors of the sweat glands to release perspiration through the skin pores. Regulated, once again, by the hormones estrogen.
Is it possible to improve the discomfort of the private parts?
The layers of tissue that line the vagina and also the vaginal vestibule undergo important changes. They thin considerably, generating spontaneous burning and pain, and any trauma or micro-trauma suffered, even with a simple sexual intercourse, generates pain. A condition due to the fact that the nerve fibers that run through the skin are deprived of the usual protective tissue “cushion”, which no longer exists as a consequence of the hormonal deficiencies typical of the period.
To remedy this situation it is always advisable to follow specific therapies, which act in different ways. First of all, with the hormonal therapies which, applied locally, stimulate the regeneration of tissue with deficiencies. For women who cannot or do not wish to use it, the specialist may suggest the use of soothing substances such as chamomile or bisabolol.
But be careful: they do not eliminate the problem, but they can help professional therapies that give good results such as inMode’s EmpowerRF radiofrequency. The support of these devices, proposed and tested for some time, is proving to be increasingly useful and effective.
Research is making giant strides in proposing technological solutions to adequately treat the thin, inelastic, hard and fibrous tissue of the vaginal and urogenital area, with benefits that are also useful for combating vaginal incontinence.
The demand for these methodswhich bring a new stimulus to tissue regeneration, resulting in an increase in collagen and tissue vascularization, restoring tone and elasticity, is increasing among 35-40 year olds due to the occurrence, for example, early menopause after breast cancer.
Hence the need for gynecological doctors appropriately trained in the knowledge of this type of problem, and with the necessary skills to use technological supports. At the University of Perugia, for example, we will soon launch a dedicated Master’s degree, intended for the training of new specialists in gynecology, adequately prepared and aware of all the technologies we have available. Because feeling better is possible there too.
Are cosmetics for these areas safe?
The greater interest in cosmetic treatments dedicated to the private parts has generated a proliferation of specific specialties, such as hydrogel or lace-effect fabric masks, which treat this area as an extension of the face. The use of detergents and preparations formulated for the skin care of private parts, based on emollient ingredients (aloe, chamomile or hyaluronic acid), such as those developed by specialized companies, certainly alleviates the discomfort due to dryness and tissue changes , which in this period become trophic and thin causing pain and burning. However, it should be remembered that they do not cure, but only alleviate discomfort.
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