Symptoms — dry skin, aging skin & wrinkles
Be comfortable in your own skin!
“Premarin made my skin so dry I’d wake up in the morning with a whole layer of skin on my sheets. The doctor told me to put cream on it, so I did three or four times a day. But it didn’t really help. I started the Personal Program and gradually stopped taking the Premarin. The transition was fine and I feel great. I don’t have the dry skin and I’m all around more positive about life.” — Terri, Personal Program Member
If you’re a woman over 35 you have probably noticed aging skin on your face and may have some fine lines and wrinkles. On other parts of your body you may be experiencing dry, itchy, or flakey skin. These problems can be a nuisance, but they are also important clues to what’s happening inside your body. Once you understand the causes of aging skin and dry skin you’ll see that there’s a lot you can do to improve the health and appearance of your skin — as well as your overall health picture.
Chronic dry skin has two common causes: hormonal imbalance and nutritional deficiencies. These two factors are also interconnected, since your body depends upon rich nutrition to make and balance its hormones. Hormonal imbalance — such as what typically accompanies menopause and perimenopause — causes dry skin because of declining levels of reproductive hormones that normally stimulate oil glands. As hormone levels fall, so does oil production, causing skin to become dry, itchy or flakey. Deficiencies in essential fatty acids and other nutrients contribute directly to dry skin by failing to give your skin cells the materials they need to replenish themselves, but can also make women more susceptible to hormonal imbalance, exacerbating the problem.
Even more common in woman than dry skin is aging skin and wrinkles. Almost all women start to see signs of aging skin by the time they reach their mid-30’s. Like dry skin, aging skin is often caused by chronic nutritional deficiencies — but what you do eat is just as important as what you don’t eat. Diets heavy in sugars or high glycemic foods, additives, artificial sweeteners and trans fats contribute to systemic inflammation, which directly affects the shape, elasticity and flexibility of collagen proteins. Inflammation is made worse by hormonal imbalance, smoking, and use of prescription and over the counter medications.
Healthy, youthful skin from the inside
You can heal dry skin, reverse aging skin and prevent wrinkles by giving your body the support it needs to restore hormonal balance and reduce inflammation.
To start, eliminate processed foods, fast food and artificial sweeteners from your diet and restrict sugar and refined carbohydrates. Increase your consumption of foods high in antioxidants such as fruits, vegetables and berries. Fill in nutritional gaps with a medical-grade multivitamin and essential fatty acid supplement. You may also try a gentle detox a few times a year.
Your skin, though different in so many ways from other organs, is still an organ, so treat it as such! Rather than slathering on lotions that just mask the problem or spending a small fortune on anti-wrinkle creams, ask yourself what’s the cause of your dry or aging skin, and what can you do to improve the health of this beautiful, essential organ? We’re confident that with a few simple changes, you can be comfortable is your own skin again!
The Personal Program is a great place to start
The Personal Program promotes natural hormonal balance with nutritional supplements, our exclusive endocrine support formula, dietary and lifestyle guidance, and optional phone consultations with our Nurse–Educators. It is a convenient, at-home version of what we recommend to all our patients at the clinic.
If you have questions, don’t hesitate to call us toll-free at 1-800-798-7902. We’re here to listen and help.
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Last Modified: 08/17/2009