His and Her Health

I'm 39 and have recently begun to notice a few mild perimenopausal symptoms. One thing that has become a problem very recently is that the skin around my eyes has seemed to thin and become much more irritable. I'm only recently graduated from grad school and not fully employed, so I can't afford expensive moisturizers. I was even using olive oil for a while, in despair, because my eyelids would sometimes even bleed, and beneath they became so baggy with little bumps. And it all happened so fast.

A walmart brand (cosmetic) eye cream proved to aggravate the problem, not help it. I recently discovered a somewhat affordable eye cream at my coop by Burts Bees which seems to be helping with the worst of the symptoms, but not really all.

What's confusing me is that I don't have actual eye dryness (although I do wear contacts, but they don't bother me) or the other types of dryness that usually accompany perimenopause. The change was so sudden, and my eyes just look so much like the eyes that "women my age" have (I am told I look so young in other ways, it's been a real blow) that I want to make sure it's not perimenopause before I approach my optometrist. Dr. Northrup's site suggests maybe a progesterone cream for dry eyes, and I'm thinking I may try that.

Does anyone else have this problem, or any suggestions? Although the problem is partly cosmetic, the skin hurts too and will sometimes bleed if I rub it too much (and it itches a bit, so it's hard to avoid).

During the perimenopausal years, some women start noticing their skin looks different. Sometimes women notice these changes even before the other typical perimenopausal changes begin to occur. Our skin has three layers: the epidermis (the outside layer); the dermis (middle layer) and the hypodermis (bottom layer). Our skin regenerates itself shedding the surface layer of skin cells each day, and the outer layer approximately every 24 days. What occurs as we age, is the fat in the hyperdermis begins to disappear causing the skin to become less soft. Our glands in dermis (our middle layer of skin) begins to produce less collagen, pershaps this is because our estrogen levels are beginning to wane at this time). We then begin to see changes in the epidermis, more wrinkles begin to occur. Of course, the top layer of our skin has also been exposed to sun over the years, which also takes its toll.
Skin care doesn't have to be expensive. First, get enough rest. If you are experiencing perimenopausal sleep disturbances, this can cause unhealthy looking skin. Discuss this with your healthcare provider as there are remarkable new products available to help with this symptom. Also, your skin needs hydration - drink at least 2 quarts of water per day. And avoid alcohol. And, of course, if you smoke, quit smoking as it deprives your skin of oxygen and increases wrinkling. Also increase your skins circulation by exercising. And, stay out of the sun. Wise consumers will control how their skin looks by first controling what they eat, drink, and stay out of the sun - rather than choosing to spend hundreds of dollars on anti aging preparations. You may also discuss with your healthcare provider the role of flaxseed oil in your diet each day which can be used in salads, vegetables, or within bread. Your healthcare provider may also discuss prescribed therapies, i.e. Retin-A, or the like. And, don't forget to wear a sunscreen each day.