Advice on Menopause or transition

Many menopausal women notice changes in their skin-especially increased dryness and wrinkling. These changes are believed to be due in part to the breakdown of collagen in the skin due to decreasing estrogen levels, which also decreases the blood vessel supply to the skin. Smoking and sun exposure also contribute to skin dryness and wrinkles.

Procedures for this problem

• Thermage
• Intense Pulse Light Rejuvination FotoFacial™
• Botox®

Menopause or transition Questions & Answers

Once my menopause is complete, will my skin be different than it was during the transition phase?
Through perimenopause the body still produces skin-enhancing estrogen, though in declining quantities. Once estrogen production stops entirely at menopause, thinning skin, increased facial hair, and possible acne breakouts result.

Without intervention, post-menopausal skin will continue to degenerate. Some studies show that skin loses up to 30% of its collagen in the first five years after menopause. Furthermore, as post-menopausal skin loses thickness by about a percentage point a year, its cell turnover rate drops and leaves increasing numbers of dulling dead skin cells on the surface.

What does the hormone estrogen do for the skin?
Estrogen keeps skin soft, firm, and supple by encouraging collagen production and reducing the potential for acne breakouts. Collagen and the elastic fibers that make up skin's structural support, are responsible for skin thickness and resiliency. Reduced collagen leads to skin fragility, thinness, wrinkling, and, sagging.

None of the above is not intended as medical advice. If you have a medical concern, please consult your doctor.

Advice on Dry or Sensitive skin

Dry skin in the fall or winter is a common problem. There are some steps you can take to get your skin into shape after the summer sun and water exposure have depleted precious moisture and nutrients.

Dermatologists fall and winter mantra is "moisturize, moisturize, moisturize". Here are a few helpful tips to make the most of your moisturizing experience:

• Don't over bathe
• Add bath oil
• Moisturize immediately after washing
• Carry extra hand cream with you
• Switch to a crème based skin care regimen
• Use an active ingredient if necessary
• Humidify your environment

Dry or sensitive skin Questions & Answers

I have dry skin. Can I exfoliate without drying my complexion?
All skin types, including dry skin, can benefit from exfoliation. By removing dead surface skin cells once a week your skin will be able to retain moisture more effectively.

How can people distinguish between regular dry skin and a skin disorder?
Basically, with one thing: their comfort level. If you're starting to feel uncomfortable and itchy, or you're noticing redness, you may have a skin disorder. For example, eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is a type of inherited dry skin condition. It can start in childhood, and usually affects the face and the areas where your body bends.

None of the above is not intended as medical advice. If you have a medical concern, please consult your doctor.

Advice on Acne prone skin

Acne is a skin condition that affects individuals with oily skin especially teenagers and young adults. It is characterized by cysts or pimples such as blackheads and whiteheads. Acne results when skin oils accumulate below keratin plugs in the openings of the hair follicles and oil glands. These plugs get clogged with irritating secretions and bacteria.

Acne can be treated or avoided in one or more of the following ways:

• Using topical medication for mild acne.
• Avoiding oily greases and creams on the skin.
• Men should soften their beard before shaving and not shave against the grain.
• See a doctor about prescribing an antibiotic.
• Light and/or laser treatments have led to excellent improvement in acne.
• Women can frequently benefit from the birth control pill.

Procedures for this problem

• Glycolic Acid Peel
• NLite™ Laser
• Blue Light

Acne prone Questions & Answers

My skin is very dry. Why am I still breaking out?
One of the primary causes of acne is the combination of oil (sebum) mixing with dead skin cells. Every skin type has at least some sebum in its pores. Even in small amounts, the sebum can still mix with dead skin cells (something dry skin has to excess) to create acne.

Do I need to use a moisturizer if I have oily, acne-prone skin?
Absolutely. The most important thing to remember about moisturizer is that it is water not grease. And even oily skin needs water. In fact, when acne-prone skin gets too dehydrated, it may often produce even more oil in response.

None of the above is not intended as medical advice. If you have a medical concern, please consult your doctor.

What Causes Crow’s Feet?

Crow’s feet — the fine lines that radiate from the corners of your eyes – are among the first wrinkles to form and can surface as early as your 30’s. They are dynamic wrinkles, meaning they’re most noticeable when you contract the muscles in your face, such as when you squint or smile.

Many factors contribute to crow’s feet including sun exposure, squinting, smoking, and menopause. Sun exposure is probably the most important of these. Over years, solar radiation in the form of UVA light damages elastin and collagen leading to lax skin that hangs loosely instead of clinging tight to the underlying muscles. The result is sagging, wrinkled skin.

The more natural pigment you have in your skin, the more you are protected from harmful ultraviolet radiation. This is why people with darker skin tend to have fewer crow’s feet than those with lighter skin.

Squinting contributes to crow’s feet as a result of countless contractions of the muscles around the eyes; years of squinting eventually form permanent wrinkles. Crow’s feet overlie the large muscle that surrounds your eye called the ocularis orbis. When you squeeze your eyes tight, you are contracting this muscle, forming wrinkles that radiate from the corners of your eyes to your temples. Under constant tension, as in an afternoon at the beach, the skin becomes fixed in that wrinkled position, and over years, changes in the collagen make these wrinkles permanent.

Smoking causes wrinkles by damaging collagen and elastin fibers and by depriving the skin of blood flow and oxygen. It also contributes to dynamic wrinkles like crow’s feet because you squint to keep smoke out of your eyes.

Estrogen helps prevent wrinkles by maintaining your skin’s collagen, elasticity, and hydration. Since estrogen is decreased following menopause, it can worsen your crow’s feet. Studies have demonstrated that women lose 1 to 2% of their collagen every year after menopause and that hormone replacement therapy might help maintain women’s skin’s thickness and elasticity, minimizing wrinkles.

Post written by Jeffrey Benabio, MD for The Derm Blog.

Photo: Jacob Theo, Flickr.com

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