With 6,000 women entering menopause daily in the U.S., and last year about 50 million U.S. women—that’s one third of the female population—were post-menopausal, it’s a major life stage that deserves open conversation and support. This new wave of dialogue helps women navigate menopause with confidence, armed with the knowledge and tools they need to embrace this transition positively. From understanding symptoms to exploring treatments and lifestyle changes, the more we know, the better equipped we are to make informed choices and enhance our well-being. It’s about celebrating this phase as a powerful, transformative period in life, feeling and looking, well, more beautiful than ever before.
During menopause, the decline in estrogen affects many parts of the body, including the skin and bones. Estrogen is key for skin elasticity and moisture, so its drop leads to dryness, sagging, and loss of firmness.
“The more estrogen you have, the more collagen you have,” says New York board-certified facial plastic surgeon Sherard A. Tatum, MD, President of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. “Collagen is one of the main proteins that gives skin the elastic and supple properties most associated with youth. The dip in estrogen at menopause also accelerates bone loss.”
This hormonal freefall can cause the skin to grow thin, brows to drop, and eyelids to become looser and puffier. What’s more, facial bones can become brittle and jowls form, among other effects on the face.
Today, growing numbers of women in or around menopause are seeking invasive and non-invasive facial rejuvenation treatments to address these concerns.
Facelifts, partial facelifts, nose jobs (rhinoplasty), and eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) topped the list of surgical procedures for women in 2023, according to the latest statistics from the AAFPRS, the world’s largest association of facial plastic and reconstructive surgeons.
“We are seeing more and more women aged 40 to 55 who are looking to reverse the effects of menopause on their face, and surgery is a solution to many of these concerns,” adds Dr. Tatum.
“Women do not experience facial aging as a linear process. It is fascinating to me how often women present to me asking for a facelift who are right about - or even exactly - 54 years of age. They feel around that time that they have suddenly aged over the prior few years more than previously. Many surgeons associate this with changes that occur during or after menopause,” adds Patrick Byrne, MD, a board-certified facial plastic surgeon in Cleveland and president-elect of the AAFPRS.
According to the annual statistics, the three most common non-surgical procedures among women are neurotoxins, soft tissue fillers, and skin treatments—all help address some of the ways that menopause affects skin quality.
Trust Your Face to a Facial Plastic Surgeon
The best way to maximize satisfaction with any facial rejuvenation procedure is to choose a qualified facial plastic surgeon. The AAFPRS reminds patients to always go to a board certified facial plastic surgeon who specializes in surgery of the face, head, and neck. To locate a facial plastic surgeon in your area, visit www.facemd.org.