Have you been looking in the mirror recently and thought:
“Why does my face look different?”
Not necessarily older. Not necessarily worse. Just… different.
Perhaps your face looks a little less defined than it used to, or your skin doesn’t have the same glow and plumpness. It could be your pores appear larger, your cheeks feel drier, or you’re noticing some redness. Or you’ve found yourself dealing with breakouts you thought you’d left behind years ago.
Maybe your makeup isn’t sitting the way it used to either.
And the frustrating thing is, you may not have dramatically changed your skincare routine. So why does your skin suddenly seem to be changing?
The answer is that your skin is changing all the time, and in your 40s, hormones can play a much bigger role than you might realise.
During perimenopause, skin changes
As we move through our 40s, through perimenopause and towards menopause, changes in our hormones can affect the way our skin behaves.
Oestrogen plays an important role in maintaining the skin’s structure, hydration and elasticity. As hormone levels fluctuate and eventually decline, you may start to notice changes that seem to appear almost overnight.
This can be particularly noticeable during perimenopause, when hormone levels can fluctuate rather than simply declining steadily.
That can mean the skin you’ve known for years suddenly feels unfamiliar. It feels like its behaving differently and nothing you use seems to help.
Changes you might have noticed in your skin
There isn’t usually one single reason your face looks different. It’s often a combination of several changes happening at the same time.
Here are some of the things I often hear from clients in their 40s.
My skin feels dry and dehydrated
You might notice your skin feels tighter after cleansing, looks duller or doesn’t have that plump, fresh appearance it once had.
Hormonal changes affect the skin’s ability to retain moisture, while your natural oil production can also change.
This doesn’t necessarily mean you need a richer moisturiser or lots of new products.
Sometimes the answer is simply helping your skin barrier become healthier and better able to hold onto water – hydration.
My skin is looking more saggy
Perhaps your jawline doesn’t look quite as defined as it once did, or your cheeks seem to have lost some of their fullness.
You’re not imagining it.
As we age, our skin produces less collagen and elastin, while changes in the underlying structure of the face also contribute to changes in facial shape and definition. Everything begins to slide downwards giving a sagging appearance.
This is why simply treating the surface of the skin doesn’t always tell the whole story or give the improvements you’re looking for.
I suddenly have enlarged pores on my face
There can be several reasons for this.
Changes in oil production, reduced elasticity and changes in the structure surrounding the pore can all make pores appear more visible and stretched.
And if your skin is dehydrated, the texture of the skin can make them appear even more obvious.
This is why aggressively stripping the skin isn’t necessarily the answer.
My skin is breaking out in acne again
You may have thought your teenage years were firmly behind you, only to find yourself dealing with breakouts again in your 40s.
Hormonal fluctuations can influence sebum production and inflammation, which can contribute to blemishes and congestion.
And this is where skincare can become confusing.
You might be tempted to reach for the strongest exfoliating acids, retinol or blemish treatments you can find.
But if your skin is also becoming more sensitive or dehydrated, throwing lots of powerful products at it can sometimes leave you with an even more unhappy skin barrier and more breakouts!
Your skin needs a different approach now than it did 10 or 20 years ago.
I have an uneven skin tone
You might notice pigmentation, redness or an uneven complexion becoming more obvious.
Previous sun exposure can start to show itself more visibly over time, with age spots and dark patches, while hormonal changes can also influence pigmentation.
The result can be a complexion that doesn’t look as clear or even as it once did.
My fine lines are more noticeable than they were
Sometimes it’s not that you’ve suddenly developed lots of new wrinkles.
When skin becomes drier and loses some of its plumpness and elasticity, existing lines become more noticeable.
Dehydration temporarily emphasise fine lines, while the gradual reduction in collagen and changes in facial structure contribute to longer-term changes.
This is one reason why simply chasing individual wrinkles can miss the bigger picture.
Perimenopausal skin needs a different approach
This is something I think is really important.
You haven’t failed at skincare. Your skin has changed.
The products that worked beautifully for you in your 20s or 30s may not necessarily be the products your skin needs now.
Perhaps you’ve started using more active ingredients because you’re trying to tackle pigmentation, wrinkles and breakouts all at once.
But if your skin is also feeling sensitive, tight, red or reactive, it may be telling you that it needs a little more support and is asking for help.
Our skin changes naturally as we age
I don’t believe women should spend their 40s constantly trying to correct everything they see in the mirror.
Your skin is allowed to change, its a natural process.
But that doesn’t mean you have to simply accept feeling uncomfortable, unhappy or disconnected from how you look.
There is a difference between fighting ageing and supporting your skin as it changes.
The aim should be healthy, comfortable, well-supported skin that’s cared for in a way that makes sense for where your skin is now.
A bespoke approach to perimenopausal skin
When you come to me, I don’t want to simply look at your skin and decide that you need “anti-ageing” treatment.
Your skin is individual.
You might have dehydration alongside congestion. Sensitivity alongside pigmentation. Hormonal breakouts alongside a loss of firmness.
That’s why I look at the bigger picture rather than treating one concern in isolation.
Your lifestyle, skincare routine, skin history and what you’re noticing at home all form part of the conversation.
From there, your facial can be tailored around what your skin actually needs on the day, using a combination of advanced skin techniques, technology and luxury skincare.
Because your skin doesn’t need a one-size-fits-all solution.
If you’re looking in the mirror and thinking, “What has happened to my skin?”
You’re not imagining it.
Your skin can genuinely change during your 40s, particularly as you move through perimenopause and towards menopause.
And you don’t need to completely overhaul your bathroom cabinet or start using every trending active ingredient to look after it.
As your skin changes, your skincare should change with it
If you’re noticing that your skin feels different and you’re not sure what it needs anymore, a Skin Discovery Consultation is a chance to take a step back, understand what’s happening and create a personalised approach for your skin.
No guessing.
Just expert, friendly advice, a closer look at your skin and a supported plan, designed around you.
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