Ageing in an unavoidable process. As you get older, your wisdom and confidence grows.
Same applies to skin sagging, wrinkling and thinning. The skin is one of the most visibly evident areas that announce the progression of years.
Sun exposed areas including the face show the most apparent signs of ageing. More so, hormonal changes during menopause can causes significant changes in your skin.
Apart from the normal age related skin changes where your body makes less collagen and skin elasticity declines, there is decreased oestrogen levels after menopause, which in turn increases skin dryness.
Ovary hypofunction during menopause alone dramatically reduces oestrogen levels. Oestrogen has been documented to affect skin physiology by aiding superficial wound healing and maintaining skin moisture.
This means as your skin becomes thinner, its protective function is impaired. You bruise more easily compared to the young healthy skin.
Collagen is a protein that plays an integral role in holding body tissues together. A reduction in oestrogen lowers reduction of collagen. This means the skin suffers by losing its youthful volume. Some women informally consume bone broth to help keep the skin sagging to a minimum.
Gentle cleansing to remove of daily dirt and make-up is useful. Moisturising never goes wrong. Avoid irritating chemicals; they may aggravate your already sensitive skin. Avoid hot showers since hot — not warm — showers or bath parch the skin by stripping it of its natural oils.
The demand for wrinkle-free skin has created an increase in patient’s seeking botox injections to shave off some years off their faces. Celebrity influence and availability of disposable income is partially to blame.
Notable increase in such services in SA was seen during the Covid-19 lockdown, where most people worked from home.
Even though raw botulinum toxin is highly poisonous and can cause paralysis or even death, botox injections use a highly diluted variant of the toxin to straighten wrinkles by numbing the muscles underneath. Botched procedures are depressing and costly to repair.
