Your Skin and the Aging Process: What You Need to Know

Sun exposure, pollution and other lifestyle factors can all affect how our skin looks and feels as we move through life. But what many women may not know is that one of the main causes of accelerated skin aging is actually the result of estrogen loss.

Estrogen plays a key role in the health and overall appearance of facial skin. It helps to retain skin moisture, collagen and elastin levels as well as support skin thickness. However, with age, estrogen levels naturally decline, resulting in collagen loss and other signs that we see in the mirror – including dryness, dullness, thinning and wrinkling. This is referred to as Estrogen Deficient Skin, which typically occurs in women who are entering perimenopause or menopause.

Although women notice changes to the condition of their skin as they age, they frequently attribute it to another birthday on the books, year after year. Most women rarely – if ever –make the correlation to declining estrogen levels. However, collagen loss is more closely related to declining estrogen levels than chronological age. In fact, low estrogen levels lead to 30% loss of skin’s collagen in the first 5 years of menopause and 2.1% loss each year thereafter.

We are living longer than our ancestors did, and therefore, a larger portion of a woman’s life today will be spent in menopause than ever before. Approximately 6,000 women enter menopause daily in the U.S. and by 2020, there will be ~46 million women over the age of 55. This means that millions of women are experiencing Estrogen Deficient Skin (and may not know it!).

Generally speaking, women attribute the “golden years” with other menopause-related symptoms – hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, etc. Most of these symptoms are treated with hormone-based therapies – generally, these treatments are either not intended to address skin concerns directly or could potentially have side effects.

Fortunately, there’s something new on the market that can help address the root cause of skin aging due to estrogen loss. EmepelleÔ is the first and only skincare line clinically proven to safely and effectively address Estrogen Deficient Skin. The Emepelle line includes a serum for daytime use and a night cream. The star ingredient in the Emepelle line is MEP TechnologyÔ, a specifically designed ingredient that helps restore the natural function of Estrogen Deficient Skin, non-hormonally. That’s right – no hormones! This means it acts only on the skin and does not have systemic effects in the body. One thing to note is that the night cream includes retinol, so those with sensitive skin should talk to their skincare provider before using to ensure their skin can tolerate.

MEP Technology helps stimulate the estrogen receptor pathway in the skin, but since it does not include hormones, it acts exclusively in skin cells, and does not have systemic effects in the body. In a clinical study published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology (JDD), MEP was found to help promote significant visible improvements in skin dryness, laxity, atrophy, dullness, thickness, fine lines and erythema (skin redness).

Unfortunately, we can’t stop Father Time or the associated changes to our body as we age. But with products like Emepelle, it is possible to take control of the aging process of our skin, so we look and feel younger.

As a general rule of thumb to help keep skin healthy, always wear sun protection when you’re outside and use a gentle cleanser to remove makeup, dirt and oil each day. Make sure to drink a lot of water and eat a healthy diet that consists of antioxidant-infused foods to nourish your skin from the inside out.

Diane Berson, M.D., NYC Dermatologist