This week Dr Alice Rudd and a few members of our team attended an event hosted by Dermocosmetica, covering the link between menopause, estrogen deficiencies associated with it and how this period in a woman’s life effects the skin.

The panel discussion was all about understanding estrogen deficient skin, which is a natural occurrence for women experiencing perimenopause and menopause, and how to treat it with products and treatments.

What is Estrogen?

Estrogen is the category of sex hormones responsible for the development and regulation of the female productive system. Estrogens have significant effects on skin physiology.

At normal levels in the skin, estrogen is known to enhance skin rigidity, elasticity, wound healing and hydration, amongst other things.

When it comes to the factors and causes of intrinsic and extrinsic skin ageing, it’s widely known that genetics, photodamage, stress, lifestyle choices all play a key part. What is less widely known, is that the rapid drop in estrogen associated with menopause, is also at fault.

The Link Between Menopause and Estrogen

When a woman is going through the stages of menopause, significant shifts in her hormone levels occur. Estrogen levels rapidly drop throughout this period, which not only affect many systems within the body, but cause dramatic change to the skin.

Often women going through this stage of life, associate changes within their skin to common ageing, which is true, but the intrinsic link between the skin and shift in hormonal levels plays an enormous part.

Not only as we age and go through the stages of menopause will our estrogen levels deplete, but during this time our skin’s moisture retention levels will drop as well. Second to that, during the first 5 years of menopause studies show that women can lose up to 30% of collagen within their skin.

Signs of Estrogen Deficient Skin

When the body’s estrogen levels deplete, the skin’s fibroblasts produce less collagen and elastin, the two proteins responsible for keeping skin bouncy and youthful.

There is also less connective tissue and glycosaminoglycans, as well as a thinner epidermis, which leads to a compromised barrier function and thinner skin.

Some of the common signs of menopause (estrogen deficient skin) can be dryness, an acceleration of the ageing process, skin that appears to be thinner as well as overall dullness. Many women notice their skin dramatically ageing and losing luminosity due to lack of hydration.

All these signs and symptoms of estrogen deficient skin could be identified before the onset of menopause or perimenopause. According to Jeanine Downie, MD, a woman on average ages the most rapidly between the ages of 41 & 47 years old.

Early diagnosis or interception of estrogen deficient skin means treatment can be maximally effective.

Skincare for Estrogen Deficient Skin

Alongside modalities such as lasers, cosmetic injectables and light-based therapies, there are topically applied solutions that can aid in treating oestrogen deficient skin.

When it comes to treating oestrogen deficient skin (EDS) with skincare, brand Emepelle have developed a technology that helps restore EDS, called MEP.

Relying on hero ingredient Methyl Estradiolpropanoate (MEP) this non-hormonal tool activates the estrogen receptor within the skin. Since the estrogen receptor activator is specific to the skin, it’s going to thicken the epidermis and stimulate collagen with no off-site activity. MEP seeks to restore collagen loss, skin laxity, firmness and they also help to address moisture loss in the skin.

How we can Help Treat Estrogen Deficient Skin at Skindepth

In conjunction with using Emepelle products we also recommend collagen induction treatments and hydration boosting treatments to support skin experiencing menopause. This can mean treatments such as skin needling, laser genesis and hydrating chemical peels.

We can also rely upon injectable treatments available at the clinic to help treat estrogen deficient skin. Specifically, one of our latest treatments, Bio-Remodelling Filler, can significantly help with skin hydration.

If you’d like to discuss how we can better support your changing skin throughout the perimenopause or menopausal period, please get in touch or book a consultation.