Skin care

Have Acne? Wrinkles? Find Out Why (And What to Do)

Understanding the hormonal changes your body is going through can help you keep pesky skin problems to a minimum

by Audrey Fine

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The Stage: Menopause As Dr. Wu says in "Feed Your Face," "as teenagers, our hormones made us irritable and anxious with stubborn breakouts and oily skin. For some women, adolescent acne then becomes hormonal acne, which can drag on into your late 30s and 40s. Then, when you finally think you have things worked out, wham menopause [hits] and you have a whole new set of problems."

The hormonal gist: "Fluctuating hormone levels cause the classic symptoms of menopause like hot flashes, flushing and night sweats," explains Dr. Wu who also notes that as we enter menopause, our bodies produce less estrogen and that this "drop in estrogen leads to a loss of collagen," which, of course, leads to less elasticity, causing the skin to start to sag. And, as Dr. Murad says, falling estrogen levels can also lead to "thinning, dryness and fragility, medium to deep fine lines and wrinkles, lackluster tone and acne breakouts." Yikes. All in all, not a pretty picture.

Next: The ingredients menopausal women can use to help their skin

SEE NEXT PAGE: Menopause -- Plan of Attack

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Lancome Bienfait Multi-Vital Night

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Clarins Sun Wrinkle Control Eye Contour Care SPF 30

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Older comments

Helpfull info

by EricaC123 Friday, December 28, 2012 at 05:08PM Report as inappropriate

very helpfulll

by aishak55 Tuesday, December 11, 2012 at 03:05PM Report as inappropriate

interesting tips and product recommendations

by Chris213 Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 08:14AM Report as inappropriate

Based on the title of the article, I thought there would be at least one section for middle aged women with both acne and wrinkles. Disappointing article

by tr3kkie9rl Thursday, July 26, 2012 at 07:29AM Report as inappropriate