Age-related skin changes during menopause: how can aromatherapy help?
How to smooth out unpleasant symptoms of the "transition period"
The onset of menopause is not only about mood swings, weight gain, and insomnia, but also about characteristic skin changes. During menopause, when the amount of estrogen decreases, skin atrophy, atony, and dehydration rapidly increase, and the epidermal barrier is disrupted.
Age-related changes occur in all layers. The amount of lipids and water in the epidermis decreases. The basement membrane loses its waviness. The process of epidermis renewal slows down, and the skin's protective functions weaken.
In the dermis, fibroblast activity decreases, degenerative changes occur in the collagen structure, the amount of mucopolysaccharides, primarily hyaluronic acid, decreases, which leads to reduced turgor and sagging of the skin. Microcirculation deteriorates and, accordingly, the delivery of oxygen and nutrients, and recovery processes slow down.
An important role in the disruption of the skin's epidermal barrier is played by the lack of unsaturated fatty acids. In aging skin, the total amount of lipids in the stratum corneum decreases, which inevitably leads to a decrease in barrier properties. To restore and maintain the integrity of the protective barrier, the skin needs unsaturated fatty acids, the natural source of which is vegetable oils.
Full version of the access article in Ukrainian
Read also
- Aromas of health: hormonal balance in menopausal women
- Menopausal metabolic syndrome (MMS): methods of correcting excess weight
- Menopause and obesity: methods of treatment of menopausal metabolic syndrome
- Perimenopause: correction of skin and hair changes
- Menopause period: physiological changes and their characteristic manifestations
- Body care during menopause: recommendations for maintaining a figure
- Aromatherapy