Dry Skin & Hormones

Dry skin and menopause

Menopause is commonly connected with hot flushes and night sweats – most women are familiar with these. The lesser known problem of dry skin that commonly accompanies menopause is also a side effect of changing hormones or more specifically one hormone – estrogen. When women enter menopause and this varies widely from 40 to late fifties, the ovaries stop releasing eggs, periods cease and the production of the hormone estrogen begins to decline.

Estrogen has many functions to do with the reproductive function of a woman’s body but also stimulates the production of collagen and sebum that keeps the skin supple and well lubricated. When this declines, dry and itchy skin can begin to appear as the body also loses its ability to lock moisture in to the skin.  Not only is this noticed on the face but commonly all over the body.

Dry skin is treatable in menopause – try these ideas below to help keep your skin soft and smooth.

• Use a creamy cleanser and moisturiser that will help hydrate and lock the moisture into the skin. You need a skincare regime that has no perfumes, colourings, alcohol or soaps and detergents that may cause dry skin even drier.

• Use a sunscreen daily – even on cloudy days. Dry skin can be made worse from exposure to the sun.

• Essential fatty acids in the diet are important to focus on – omega 3’s as found in deep sea fish such as tuna, salmon and sardines. Add nuts, soy, olive and flaxseed oil to the diet on a daily basis.

• Keep showers and baths to a minimum. As pleasant as a long steamy shower can be – it is also very drying for the skin.

• Pat dry gently and apply moisturiser all over the body on a daily basis to moisturise and help prevent moisturise loss.

• Avoid soaps with too much perfume, antibacterial action or deodorant ones as they all tend to dry out the skin further.

If dry skin continues to be a problem after following a dry skin care regime, it may be time to consult a doctor or dermatologist. Most simple cases of dry skin should respond well to the suggestions above over a period of a few weeks.

Why do I have sensitive skin?

Your skin type

Sensitive skin has become more common. We used to have only three types of skin defined in skincare products… normal, oily and dry. Then combination came along to cover those people whose skin was dry in some areas and oily in others or a combination of normal and oily or dry. Sensitive skin has only been recently given a whole category of skin care to itself but has also been a skin type that continues to grow.

So why has sensitive skin become so common?  We define sensitive skin as skin that reacts easily and in a negative way to a number of substances with symptoms such as redness, swelling, itching and discomfort.

Some schools of thought say that the increasing number of chemicals in our food, in the water we drink, in our food, in our household cleaners, in our homes and cars – all contribute to a chemical overload on the body. Our bodies can only process so much of these chemicals and we become more and more sensitised as time goes by.  Long term exposure can have this effect in the same way people can have a reaction to a food that they have been able to eat all their lives and then suddenly start developing worse and worse reactions each time they eat it.

Sensitive skin can run in families, you can have a genetic predisposition to having sensitive skin and may do so since early childhood.

How do we reduce this overload?

• Replace toxic cleaning products and do some research on old favourites that are non toxic such as vinegar and baking soda and how to use them.

• See if you can incorporate more foods into your diet that are grown organically where chemical sprays are not used on the plants or the soil they are grown in.

• Make sure your drinking water is as pure as it can be – invest in a filter.

• Treat your sensitive skin gently with gentle yet effective cleansers that have no soaps, detergents or sulphates like our skinsaviour cleanser.

• Wash in lukewarm water and pat dry to avoid over stimulating and irritating sensitive skin.

• Patch test all your products you use on your skin on the inside of the wrist for a few days to see whether you have any reaction.

• Use a moisturiser that has been carefully formulated for sensitive skin that is free of harmful chemicals, colourings, perfumes, all that can irritate sensitive skin.

How to deal with ingrown hairs…

What is an ingrown hair?

An ingrown hair is either a hair that fails to grow out of the hair follicle and stays embedded under the surface of the skin or a hair that when it starts to grow changes direction and begins to grow back in on itself. Although they can happen naturally, usually it is waxing or shaving that causes them. Usually you first notice one because they itch or feel uncomfortable and if left untreated can be painful and become infected. Ingrown hairs can look a little like a small pimple in the later stages. If the inflammation extends beyond the immediate area of the ingrown hair or after you have treated the ingrown hair it still persists you should consider getting it checked by a do

What do I do?

Ingrown hairs can be simply treated by following the instructions below and you will need to arm yourself with a clean washcloth and some warm water, a mild antiseptic, pointy nosed tweezers and a small needle you have sterilised in boiling water.

• Gently apply a washcloth to the ingrown hair until it grows cool down and repeat again – this often helps bring the hair closer to the surface and softens the top of the skin covering the hair.
• Use a small needle to pierce any pimple that has formed over the ingrown hair and gently try to remove the ingrown hair by teasing it out.
• If a head has formed gently squeeze with a tissue until it has all gone and you can see the ingrown hair.
• Don’t try to pull the hair out – it may form again – you are trying to release the hair to grow normally.
• Apply an antiseptic to the area with a cotton wool ball to minimise the chance of infection.

How do I minimise ingrown hairs?

• Wear looser clothing if you suffer from ingrown hairs, tight clothing is a big cause of causing ingrown hairs to form, especially on the legs.
• Exfoliating regularly will help ingrown hairs. Exfoliating gloves are easy and quick to use and can be thrown in the washing machine to keep them clean of bacteria.
• Don’t use harsh exfoliators that can strip the skin of oils and dry it out making ingrown hairs more likely to form.
• Don’t use loofahs as they can’t be washed very easily and can harbour bacteria.
• Use cleansers and moisturisers that are non comodegenic, that is they won’t block the pores and make ingrown hairs more common.
• Cleansing the skin morning and night will keep the hair follicles and pores clear and remove grime and dead skin cells allowing the hair to grow more freely.
• Do not use products with alcohol that dry the skin.
• Use a long lasting hydrating moisturiser that will keep the hair soft all day and help prevent it in growing.
• Many men suffer ingrown hairs from shaving. Try leaving the hair fractionally longer by not using a multi blade razor as the hair is less likely to become ingrown if it is not shaved too closely.
• Don’t pull the skin too tight as this also makes the shave closer than you need.

Eczema

What is eczema?

Eczema (pronounced ek-sma) is a very common allergic skin condition that affects the skin of people in all age groups. Another name used for eczema is dermatitis. Usually it looks like a pinkish-red scaly rash appearing anywhere on the body.  Dry and scaly looking skin forms over red inflamed areas causing intense burning and itching. The area can feel hot and is usually very itchy and Babies can have eczema when they are young and then grow out of it as they get older and some people don’t get eczema until they are adults. Most people with chronic eczema will get their first patch of eczema occurring before they are school age.

Why do you get eczema?

It is not exactly known why we get eczema, it does have some connection to allergic reactions and the immune system it is not the typical allergic reaction.
Some types of eczema have a genetic link and a family history of allergies, asthma and eczema mean you may be more susceptible.

Some types of eczema happen after the skin comes into contact with a trigger or allergen which may happen immediately or only come after repeated contact. Common allergens are soaps, detergents, wool, animal fur, plants, chemicals and many others so it may be difficult to establish the cause. Sometimes physical stress like an illness or mental and emotional stress can trigger an attack. Although this skin condition often looks as though it might be contagious, it isn’t, you can’t catch eczema from someone else.

What can I do?

• If you are unsure about the diagnosis, consult a skin specialist or a doctor. Allergy testing may be necessary.
• If you are so uncomfortable that your sleep, work, or other daily activities are disrupted, you should also seek medical help.
• Avoid what you know you are allergic to wherever possible.
• Try not to scratch it – fingernails can harbour bacteria and can cause an infection if you scratch and break the skin.
• Try to avoid washing clothes in harsh detergents and soaps.
• Avoid showering or bathing excessively – once a day and only use soap where you really need it. Pat the skin gently dry.
• Avoid hot water as this will only make the itching worse.
• Clothing should be cotton where possible, wool can irritate.
• Keep cool and out of the sun, getting hot and sweaty can make it worse.
• Avoid strenuous exercise when your eczema flares up.
• Avoid physical and mental stress. Eating a well balanced diet, reducing stress and adequate sleep will help you stay healthy, which can help prevent flares.
• Clean the area with a hypoallergenic cleanser every day.
• Gently apply a moisturising cream after washing that has been formulated to be calming and soothing as well as moisturising with no perfumes or colours.

What do I do about oily skin?

Oily skin is caused by overactive oil glands in the skin that produce sebum that keeps our skin lubricated. If you look in the mirror and see a greasy shiny face looking back you most likely have an overproduction of oil. Sometimes people with excessively oily skin have large pores and the skin can look quite heavy in texture and blemishes occur more frequently. Women may find that makeup doesn’t stay in place and begins to slide. If you are still unsure, wash and gently cleanse your face and leave to dry for 30 mins. Place a clean tissue on the face and pat down gently. If you look at the tissue and see areas of oil on the tissue, you have oily skin.

What do I do?

Oily skin needs to be treated gently. Often people with oily skin will try to scrub the skin with hot water, harsh soaps and exfoliators to try and remove all the excess oil. This often has the reverse effect and can cause the skin to produce even more oil to try and compensate for the oil being removed. We do want some oil on our skin as this is what causes the skin to be lubricated and comfortable and helps to prevent wrinkles forming. Oily skin needs to be gently cleansed and a minimum of moisturiser applied, making sure it is one that is comodegenic, that is, it won’t block the pores and cause blemishes to form.

Following some of these suggestions below should help ease oily skin conditions:

• Cleanse the skin thoroughly but gently, using a cleanser with no harsh soaps or detergents.
• Cleanse the skin morning and night to keep the skin free of built up oil and grime.
• Use lukewarm water and pat dry to avoid stimulating oil production.
• Do not use alcohol based toners and astringents as they can over dry the skin.
• Use a moisturiser that is formulated not to block your pores.
• Use a tissue to blot excess oil during the day rather than over wash your face.
• Avoid fatty foods with a high fat and oil content.
• Use non oil based sunscreens.
• Use non oil based cosmetics.
• Consider visiting a skin specialist or your doctor if these measures don’t help as there may be underlying physical causes.