How Women’s Skin Changes Overtime

How Women’s Skin Changes Overtime

The skin is a sensitive organ and can be affected by so many different things—the cleanliness of your pillow case, the amount of water you drink, how much sugar you eat, and even hormones can change your skin. With so many factors that can harm or affect our skin, it is hard to determine what is causing breakouts and other skin issues.

Hormones is a huge one. Starting during puberty, hormones are produced in higher quantities, which is why most teenagers see breakouts around this time. While hormones affect everyone’s skin, male and female, we are going to focus on women today and how their skin changes throughout the different periods of their life.

Women tend to do more to take care of their skin. They use multiple products, purchase the high-end face washes and moisturizers, and work hard to keep their skin looking and feeling healthy and beautiful. While both men and women go through hormonal changes, women experience these changes more often throughout their lifetime.

Whether you are hitting puberty and having your first acne breakouts or you’re going through menopause and noticing your skin looking older, we can help. Azeal Dermatology Institute is your Boulder dermatology office that can help with all of your skin needs and concerns. We can help you solve different skin issues throughout every stage of life, keeping your skin looking and feeling healthy. We know that your skin’s appearance can affect the way you feel, that is why we work hard to make sure you get the best skin care and treatment for any and all of your skin issues. See our services today to learn more about what we can do for you and your skin.

In this blog, we are going to go over some of the periods in a woman’s life that may affect skin and how your skin will change over time.

Puberty

Puberty is not a fun time for anyone. It is awkward, stressful, and causes your body to change in many ways. Around age 12 or 13, girls will begin puberty, which will cause estrogens and androgens to be produced at higher levels. These are two hormones that are responsible for skin changes. According to YouBeauty, estrogen will decrease pore size and helps to smooth your skin. Estrogen also causes collagen and elastin to build up in the skin, which is what helps keep your skin firm and gives it the springiness.

The androgens, which include testosterone, also has an effect on women’s skin. Testosterone and estrogen are not limited to one gender. Both estrogen and testosterone are present in males and females, but the amounts differ, which is why men and women see different results as they go through puberty and the rest of their lives.

But the androgens in women cause pores to enlarge and sebum production to increase. Sebum is produced by the skin and is an oily substance, which can cause acne breakouts. And that is just what it does, these hormones are what cause teens going through puberty to breakout. Early in puberty, it is possible for girls to face a hormonal imbalance, and if testosterone is on the higher end, it will cause an even more severes breakouts.

The Best Years

As a woman hits their 20s and 30s, hormones will balance out and leaves the skin healthy and beautiful. During a woman’s menstrual cycle, estrogen will increase and will give the skin a glowing appearance. The testosterone doesn’t overpower the estrogen this time and rather than creating oily skin that breakouts, the sebum gives the skin a gorgeous glow. After a cycle, estrogen and testosterone drop and can cause skin to look less youthful and firm but it will bounce back once the next cycle starts!

These years may seem to last forever, but there are things that can ruin your period of perfect skin. One of those things is pregnancy.

Pregnancy Skin

We will start with a positive side of pregnancy, the estrogen boost that women get at the beginning of their ovulation also occurs during pregnancy. This estrogen boost give pregnant women their “pregnant glow” that we always hear so much about. But being pregnant can also have some negative effects on your skin. It only makes sense that you will notice many changes during your pregnancy, your hormones are out of control and cause changes in your mood and sadly, your skin.

According to American Pregnancy Association, there are many different skin issues and changes that can occur during a pregnancy:

  • Changes in skin pigmentation (melasma)
  • Stretch marks
  • Acne
  • Varicose and spider veins
  • Sensitive skin
  • Itchy skin
  • And more

While many of these skin problems are unavoidable, there are different things you can do to fix these issues. Pregnancy can have a huge effect on your skin, and some of these changes may not return to normal once you have the baby. Stretch marks and changes in skin pigmentation may stick around long after the baby is born, but that doesn’t mean you have to live with these skin changes. At Azeal Dermatology Institute, we offer many services, including services that can help with stretch marks and melasma.

Estrogen Drop

The perfect skin from your 20s and 30s won’t last long. Around age 25, your estrogen peaks and then begins to drop. During your 30s and 40s, you may begin to notice that your skin doesn’t bounce back the way it used to. The collagen and elastin levels decrease along with estrogen, leaving the skin dry and much less elastic.

According to the YouBeauty article, the decrease of estrogen has a quicker impact on aging skin than sun damage does. As women get older and start making their way into perimenopause, which is the transition between ovulation and menopause, their hormone cycles will change. During this time, the hormonal changes may cause women to experience adult acne, an increase in facial hair, and thinner scalp hair.

Menopause

Once a woman hits their 50s, they are most likely in menopause. While the body still produces hormones, the amount produced will greatly decrease, which will cause the skin to create less collagen and elastin. The YouBeauty article mentions a study that found that collagen production decreases about 30 percent in 15 years. This decrease will leave your skin drier, thinner, and more wrinkled. Menopause can also cause other skin problems like acne and rosacea.

While you are now probably stressing about your skin in the future, it doesn’t have to be all that bad! Taking care of your skin when you are younger can help to keep your skin looking more youthful as you age. While no one, not even celebrities and model, can avoid aging skin and wrinkles, there are ways you can help your skin not age as quickly or as aggressively. For older women with decreased skin elasticity, try exfoliating once a week, as well as using an antioxidant moisturizer, you can also use retinoids for wrinkles. Women of all ages should wear sunscreen and keep their skin safe from the sun. Sun damage can make skin appear to age faster and can make wrinkles worse.

We know that your skin and the youthfulness help you feel better in your own skin. That is why we offer a wide range of services that can help keep your skin looking and feeling younger and healthier, even as you age. We have many treatment options for different skin issues and concerns, allowing you to keep your skin looking exactly how you want. Schedule an appointment with your Boulder dermatologists today and we can help determine the best treatment option for you. Contact Azeal Dermatology Institute today with any questions you may have and remember to take care of your skin through every stage of life!

Categories

Blog Archives

footerlogo