Chemical Peels
Dermal Fillers
Submit your questions to Dr. Parker on Star 929.com!
A Lot Of People Ask - How does Menopause affect my skin?
Health and beauty ads are everywhere. What’s true? What’s safe? And who can you believe? Doctor Colleen Parker of Radiance Medical Aesthetics and Wellness in Williston, VT has your answers, backed by science, and clinical evidence. Doctor Parker keeps you in the know.
Menopause is a huge topic, and it does affect the way that you look. A lot of times people think that aging is this linear process and it’s not. You can plateau and then you take another step down and then you plateau and take another step down. In the meantime, what can we do? Well, first we just need to talk about it more. In our office, we focus on what we can do specifically for the skin itself, and that includes laser treatments that increase the thickness of the dermis. Because as we lose estrogen, our dermis starts to thin. We want to keep that dermis nice and plump and supportive, and that’s where a lot of our laser treatments are focused. And then we apply topical medications like tretinoin and do chemical peels and microdermabrasion because it turns over that epidermis and keeps it thin because that starts to thicken as we age, as we lose estrogen, we lose bone mass throughout our entire bodies. We can use a high density dermal filler made out of hyaluronic acid, which is a protein molecule made by your body, and we can actually inject it in certain areas of the face that provides support.
Menopause and Skin Health
Unfortunately, there is no magic switch that turns aging on and off (preferably off!) and many people don’t realize just how much menopause affects women’s lives as we age. One of the most visible changes that happens during menopause is actually to our skin. Dr. Colleen Parker believes that knowledge is power and staying ahead of the game and informed when it comes to menopause will give you a huge advantage when it comes to navigating these stages of over our lifespan.
Menopause and aging are not a steady gradual decline, rather it’s more of a series of plateaus followed by noticeable steps down (i.e. how we feel physically, function mentally, and look visibly) especially during the transition through perimenopause and menopause.
How does menopause affect our skin?
- Drops in estrogen production over time lead to thinning of the dermis, reduced collagen production, and loss of skin elasticity.
- Thin skin is fragile and more susceptible to fine lines and wrinkles.
- Bone loss leads to less support underneath our facial fat pads and skin.
- Less bone to support these structures leads to crapey and sagging skin.
- Collagen production is essential for our skin’s youthful appearance and is responsible for our skin’s strength, elasticity, and firmness.
- During the first 5 years of menopause, women can lose up to 30% of their collagen, with a continued 2% decline per year!
Our Comprehensive Approach To Help Menopausal Skin Care
- Prevention starts earlier than you think!
- If you are 30 – 35 years old, now is the time to start treatment and seek out a certified menopause specialist as well as an aesthetics skin expert such as Dr. Parker.
- If you wait too long, you may risk losing the full benefits of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) or skin treatments that can slow skin deterioration.
- Skin treatments we offer that can help maintain healthy, youthful skin
- Laser treatments that help increase the thickness of the dermis, such as laser genesis, HALO, and NanoLaserPeel or MicroLaserPeel, can help strengthen your skin and maintain structure and support the skin.
- Topical treatments such as medical-grade Tretinoin, such as AlphaRet Overnight Serum from Skinbetter Science or Prescription Tretinoin available at our clinic, alongside regular Chemical Peels, our Radiance Signature Laser Glow Peel, and Dermasweep Microdermabrasion, encourage healthy skin cell turnover and prevent the epidermis from thickening – another common issue with aging skin.
- Dermal Fillers are hyaluronic acid-based fillers that we can use to restore lost volume and add support to the skin, particularly in areas where bone mass decreases or where fine lines and wrinkles occur.
- BroadBand Light helps improve skin cell function. BBL® BroadBand Light not only clears pigmentation caused by damaged skin, but also helps our skin cells function better. The healthier our skin is the slower it will age or be susceptible to further damage.
Why Hormone Health Matters Too
- Beyond aesthetics treatments, Dr. Parker emphasizes the importance of also consulting with a medical professional who is menopause certified or follows the NAMS guidelines for menopause.
- You can ask your provider or go to menopause.org
- Early adoption of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a safe and effective way to significantly reduce the risks of bone loss, cardiovascular issues, cognitive decline, and skin deterioration associated with menopausal aging.
- Just as we provide personalized care at Radiance – so can your other healthcare providers for your overall health and longevity during menopause.
Let’s get talking!
- Our biggest mission is to get the conversations going about menopause and what we can do for women’s health because frankly it’s NOT TALKED ABOUT ENOUGH.
- Chat with your friends, your medical providers, aesthetic providers, and the community because there is truly so much prevention we can do so long as it’s circulating in our daily conversations and raising awareness among others!
To learn more about how our team and Dr. Parker can help you with your premenopause, perimenopause, or postmenopause skin journey – contact us today or schedule a consultation at our clinic in Williston, Vermont.
Women’s health is important – Let’s start the conversation and support feeling radiant through every season of life!
Written by Kendall Beiswanger, Marketing and Business Director
Reviewed by Dr. Colleen Parker
