How To Manage Skin Changes (including dandruff) During Menopause

Have you been noticing changes to your skin lately, like dryness, sagging, or thinning?

These kinds of changes can be frustrating to deal with when they’re experienced by anyone, but for menopausal women, they represent all kinds of complexities. Skin changes, including dandruff, are often a part of the kinds of physical and emotional changes brought on by menopause. It’s common for fluctuating hormone levels to lead to noticeable shifts in the health and wellbeing of our skin. If you’re navigating this menopausal change, considering the individual needs of your skincare is now more important than ever.

Why is the skin so important?

As the largest organ in our bodies, the skin is our first line of defence when it comes to protecting us from threats within the environment. It also directly impacts body temperature regulation. When our skin goes through any health changes, this can have larger ramifications for our overall health and wellbeing, or it can be reflective of internal changes or health challenges.

Menopause and skin changes

It comes as no surprise that one of the major changes menopause brings is a decline in how much oestrogen the body produces. Integral to our skin’s health and vitality, oestrogen plays a key role in the amount of collagen and oils it produces. As collagen is the primary protein within skin tissue, a decrease in oestrogen means a decrease in the skin’s natural support for firmness and elasticity. This reduction in collagen can lead to:

• Thinner skin that’s more prone to injury
• A loss of elasticity
• Increases in wrinkles and fine lines
• More visibility in existing wrinkles
• Itchy, flaky skin
• Increased dandruff levels
• Changes to firmness as a result of changed fat distribution around the body
• Dryness, thanks to decreased oil production

Unfortunately, the potential changes you’re likely to experience don’t end there. Increased acne levels are also common for women in the midst of menopause, with their cause traced back to the relative amount of testosterone in their bodies. Heightened amounts of relative testosterone can stimulate the sebaceuous glands, leading to acne breakouts (even for women who’ve never struggled with it before).

Menopause and dandruff

Dandruff can be a problem for people of all ages – but with menopause’s changes, dandruff can become even more of a headache for women navigating this season of transition.

If you’ve never experienced dandruff before, you’ll recognise its presence if you start to experience an itchy, flaky scalp. This can be the result of dry skin, sensitivities or reactions to hair products, or potentially the presence of dandruff-causing fungi.

Decreased oestrogen levels during menopause can lead to a drier scalp, creating a more favourable environment for dandruff. This occurs as a result of skin becoming less able to retain moisture and produce oils essential to maintaining healthy moisturisation levels. Stress, also a common issue for women during menopause, can also play a role in increasing dandruff’s intensity. For some women, their menopause-related stress could also trigger or exacerbate psoriasis. This condition is often linked with dandruff, and can create issues with the skin’s natural barrier, creating an ongoing cycle of drier skin. A dry scalp will quickly turn into increased cell turnover, thereby resulting in visible white flakes of skin. 

How can you manage skin changes during menopause?

Thankfully, not all hope is lost when it comes to keeping skin healthy and moistured throughout menopause. While the decrease in key hormones may lead to more complexity in managing skin conditions, a number of preventative steps can help to keep your skin in healthy working order and your scalp dandruff-free throughout your menopausal years.

These include:

• Regularly moisturising the skin all over your body. Don’t forget to moisturise the less obvious areas, such as elbows, knees and ankles. Opt for a hydrating cleanser and a high-quality moisturiser that’s free of added fragrances. If you’re really looking to build better moisture retention into your routine, look for products with hyaluronic acid.
• Incorporate sunscreen into your daily skin routine. This can help to combat wrinkles and the development of fine lines, giving your skin protection from direct or incidental sunlight. A broad-spectrum sunscreen that’s applied daily can provide front-line protection within your everyday routine.
• Look to dandruff shampoos to help fight its impact. Luckily, a number of over-the-counter shampoos can be effective in reducing its intensity. If you’re unable to find a product that’s effective for your individual needs, dermatologists can also advise on possible solutions to reducing dandruff levels. 
• Stay hydrated. While external hydration through moisturisation is important for protecting your skin, it’s also crucial to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water, giving your skin ongoing hydration support from the inside.
• Benefit from regular exercise. Did you know exercise contributes to healthier skin by boosting blood circulation? By maintaining a regular exercise schedule, you can give your skin even more support as it navigates the changes menstruation brings.
• Get enough sleep. Regular sleep is necessary for healthy skin, giving this major organ a chance to repair and rejuvenate itself each night. A healthy sleep schedule will provide ongoing support to your brain, body and skin throughout your menopause experience.
• Quit smoking and limit alcohol intake. These two lifestyle factors can also contribute to weakened, dry skin.

By taking a proactive approach to the health of your skin, you can adopt these lifestyle strategies to give it the support it needs throughout every menopause change to come.

Conclusion

Our skin is in no way exempt from the significant changes menopause brings to a woman’s body. While dryness, acne, fine lines and dandruff are all experienced by women in different stages of their menopausal experience, there are a number of steps you can take to help to support your skin through this unavoidable transition. The skincare strategies outlined above can give your skin a new line of defence, supportive and effective even as it navigates fluctuating hormones and physiological changes.

For more support in every aspect of your menopausal journey, contact the team at Australian Menopause Centre. There’s no need to navigate menopause’s many changes on your own – while menopause may be inevitable, struggling with skin changes doesn’t have to be.