Did you know estrogen is an essential component of healthy skin function?  

That’s right, those unwelcome skin changes at midlife are often linked to perimenopause and menopause. Most women assume their skin changes are simply part of the natural aging process, especially for prior sun worshippers who skipped sunscreen. While aging and sun damage do play a role,  the real shift happens when estrogen levels decline and eventually disappear, leaving your skin literally thirsty for estrogen.  

Women lose 30% of skin collagen in the first five years of menopause, with a continued loss of 2% per year over the next 20 years.  

That steep decline is why your skin looks and feels different so quickly. Treating estrogen-deficient skin sooner, rather than later,  is the secret to younger-looking skin.  Once skin becomes estrogen-deficient, it undergoes cellular changes that reduce collagen, elastin, hyaluronic acid, mucopolysaccharides, and other growth factors that are key to plump, healthy skin. Without estrogen, your skin can become dry, thin, wrinkly, and itchy.  Some women even complain of feeling their skin is crawling!

What Menopause Hormone Therapy Can (and can't) Do

Women who use hormone therapy often notice healthier, more hydrated skin.  Estrogen has been shown to maintain skin elasticity, hydration, and thickness. Estrogen also helps maintain fat deposits in the face (your natural filler).  The loss of the support fat under the skin results in wrinkles and sagging skin.  That said, skin changes alone are not a medical indication to start systemic estrogen, but for those women who are already considering it for bothersome peri/menopause symptoms, skin benefits are an added bonus.

A dermatologist colleague once told me, "Every woman over the age of 40 should begin using a retinoid on their face".

Looking back at her advice given over 20 years ago, she was preventing hormone-related skin changes unknowingly. Over-the-counter retinol products are often a great first line of defense to help combat the fine lines, texture changes, and dryness most women experience.  But prescription retinoids (a chemical formed from Vitamin A), like tretinoin, remain the gold standard recommended by dermatologists worldwide.

Unlike expensive cosmetic "anti-aging" creams or compounded estriol face products, retinoids like tretinoin have decades of research showing their ability to stimulate collagen, even skin tone, and reduce fine lines and wrinkles over time. Plus, generic prescription retinoids are often covered by your health insurance.

Skincare is Menopause Care!

If you are ready to begin prescription tretinoin, MyMenopauseRx is ready to help. Current patients can conveniently book a message visit to obtain a prescription, which will be sent to the pharmacy of your choice. If you are a new patient looking for expert whole-person peri/menopause care covered by insurance, book a virtual visit. You deserve to have great skin and get expert care so you can live your best life.