Aging can be a tricky thing to navigate. Whether you’re in the midst of perimenopause, already through menopause or just starting to explore what it all means, noticing changes in your body and skin often prompts the natural instinct to search for solutions.
Not too long ago, menopause and its associated symptoms weren’t talked about openly. That was long before menopause retreats became a thing and celebrities like Naomi Watts started launching product lines to address these very needs.
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Now, the conversation around menopause—and the treatments aimed at supporting women through this stage—has become much more mainstream. That’s why we turned to the experts to get the inside scoop on the latest remedies designed to ease dry skin and other menopause-related symptoms.
Here’s what they say really works if you’re looking for answers and relief yourself.
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Menopausal Skin Indicators
Although dry skin isn’t the only side effect associated with menopause, it can certainly be one of the most noticeable, given that it can affect your hands, face and body appearing flaky or itchy. You may even notice spotty skin and inflammation with new acne flareups or flushed hot skin. Sagging skin is another common concern due to the loss of collagen, where fine lines can look more pronounced, especially around the eyes and cheeks.
According to board-certified celebrity dermatologist Dr. Kim Nichols, MD, FAAD, low estrogen levels can be the cause of these skin conditions leading to a variety of symptoms that affect both physical and emotional well-being. “These symptoms can be tough to deal with, ranging from dry skin and hot flashes to night sweats, mood swings and sleepless nights,” she adds.
On top of that, low estrogen can also weaken bones, says Dr. Nichols, increasing the risk of osteoporosis, and contributing to fatigue, headaches and vaginal dryness. On the emotional front, it can lead to anxiety, depression and difficulty focusing.
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The #1 Treatment That Can Help Menopausal Skin
If you’ve tried various moisturizers and supplements to quench your thirsty skin without improvement, there’s another option Dr. Nichols recommends to her perimenopausal and menopausal patients.
“Hormone replacement therapy (or HRT, as we say at my practice, NicholsMD of Greenwich) is what I would call the number one game-changer for not only menopausal skin but a host of other menopause symptoms,” she explains.
“Bioidentical pellet treatment works in the body to release a consistent dose of hormones, helping to balance those hormone levels and in turn promote collagen production, boost skin hydration and improve elasticity.” In addition to seeing a more youthful, vibrant appearance, she says her patients have also seen an improvement in overall skin texture. “By addressing the hormonal root cause of menopausal skin changes, bioidentical pellets can effectively, ‘turn back the clock,’ on aging skin.”
The Best Candidates for Hormone Replacement Therapy
By now you’re probably wondering if HRT could be right for you. Dr. Nichols says the best candidates for hormone replacement therapy are typically women in both perimenopause or menopause stages of life or men experiencing low testosterone levels.
“Some people may not even realize that a hormonal imbalance is what they are struggling with,” she says, adding that new or existing mood swings, poor sleep, a decreased libido, fatigue and an overall feeling of weakness or ‘brain fog’ can all play a role.
Although there’s no one-size-fits-all answer as to the right age to undergo hormone replacement therapy, she notes it’s generally considered for women around the onset of their menopause symptoms. “Ultimately, the decision should be made in consultation with a healthcare provider who can assess each person’s health risks and benefits,” she shares. Talking to your doctor and getting bloodwork done to test your hormone levels could be the first step in seeing relief.
Benefits and Side Effects
Dr. Nichols credits HRT with helping to alleviate hormonal imbalance symptoms such as menopausal discomforts, decreased bone density, weight gain and low energy levels while reducing the risk of certain conditions like osteoporosis and heart disease at the same time.
However, as with taking any medicine, the hormones used in hormone replacement therapy can cause possible side effects. “For bioidentical hormone replacement therapy using pellets (which is what we do at my practice), the most common side effects include headaches, mood changes and some initial sensitivity or bruising at the treatment site,” she explains.
If you’re concerned about extensive bruising and soreness, rest assured that these side effects usually fade within a few days. In more good news: they also tend to lessen with each treatment. So, if you plan on continuing HRT every three to six months (the typical interval for pellet reinsertions), the sensitivity will become less noticeable over time.
As for the notion that certain types of HRT might increase the risk of breast cancer, Dr. Nichols says there’s no strong clinical evidence linking hormone replacement therapy to increased cancer risk.
“Estrogen is a broad term—there are three different types of estrogen and estradiol, which is the most potent form of estrogen, is used in bioTE, the bioidentical form of estrogen that we use in our hormone replacement therapy treatments,” she says. “Furthermore, testosterone is also proven to be protective of breast tissue and a study completed in 2019 by Rebecca Glasser MD, showed evidence that long-term therapy with testosterone reduced the incidence of breast cancer by 59%”
If that sounded a bit too technical, here’s the simpler version: Your body needs a balance of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone to function properly. The exact dosage depends on your bloodwork after an initial HRT consultation, but typically, a mix of these three hormones is prescribed to help ease perimenopause and menopause symptoms.
With that said, if you have a family history of breast cancer or are concerned with the possible risks associated with HRT, it’s important to talk to your doctor and weigh all the factors involved.
The Cost of HRT
Let’s be honest—HRT can be expensive. A single pellet typically costs between $300 and $350 for women, and around $650 for men, depending on where you live. And considering that results generally begin to wear off around the 3-month mark, the price can add up. However, similar to other med spa treatments, buying a package deal can help lower the cost per session.
Over the course of a year, with treatments every three to six months, the average cost typically ranges from $1,050 to $1,400 for women, and $1,400 to $2,100 for men—bringing the cost per treatment down in the long run.
Our final takeaway? The price of relief can be well worth it while you’re in the perimenopausal or menopausal state, but you may want to try HRT once first to see how you fare, and then determine if subsequent injections are right for you.
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Sources:
- Menopause and Your Skin, Northwestern Medicine
- Kim Nichols, MD, FAAD is a board-certified celebrity dermatologist, cosmetic surgeon and the founding director of NicholsMD of Greenwich and SkinLab by NicholsMD in Connecticut
- Side effects of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), NHS
- How Often Do You Need To Get Hormone Pellets, Premiere Center for Health & Wellness
- Hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer risk, Breast Cancer Org
