Hormonal changes affecting facial contours
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free skin care · Fri Aug 21, 2009 2:38 am

Hi everyone,

I wondered if hormones can actually affect the contours of your face? I know they can cause alot of skin problems, but I'm really concerned as I don't feel like I look like myself anymore. The bottom third of my face seems to have dropped and looks really puffy, which in turn is making my midface look really flat and narrow, causing an oblong appearance.
I'm having a blood panel done as I'm 39 and spoke to my doctor about being perimenopausal. My doctor is almost certain I'm not peri-meno, but the changes to my face are something I've never seen before. Is there a chance it may be allergies ?

many many thanks

Jackie xx

free skin care · Fri Aug 21, 2009 2:46 am

Hello Jackie284 and welcome to this forum.

I experienced the same thing post-surgical menopause. It is a loss of elasticity in the skin and the cheeks drop and jowls start. What helped me the most was a facial exercise program called Ageless If You Dare. It is inexpensive and easy to use. There is a very long thread:
http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=31539

free skin care · Fri Aug 21, 2009 3:21 am

Hi milbader,

thanks for your reply. I have being doing facial exercises for approx 2 years now, but I backed off for about 6 months because I got a bit of overbuild. This change started to happen in the past 5 months or so, and won't subside. I have restarted the exercises, but the bottom third of my face just won't respond, it looks awful. I think the puffiness makes the sagging look even worse,

thanks again

Jackie xx

free skin care · Tue Aug 25, 2009 1:29 pm

Jackie284, Man, can I ever relate! I am over 5 years post menopausal. The shape of my face has REALLY changed over the past year. Like you, my face really looks thin and elongated. Very odd. I look so different, and not in a good way! Sad

I using a FaceMaster to build up my now flattened cheeks. I don't know.....

free skin care · Tue Aug 25, 2009 4:32 pm

I am also using the Anti-Aging Light Stim and it has helped to fade my pigmentation spots and improve the texture of my skin. Hopefully, it will help with rebuilding the collagen.

free skin care · Wed Aug 26, 2009 2:08 am

Mars wrote:

Jackie284, Man, can I ever relate! I am over 5 years post menopausal. The shape of my face has REALLY changed over the past year. Like you, my face really looks thin and elongated. Very odd. I look so different, and not in a good way! Sad

I using a FaceMaster to build up my now flattened cheeks. I don't know.....

Hi mars,

are you finding the facemaster is helping ?

thanks

Jackie xx

free skin care · Wed Aug 26, 2009 7:38 am

Hi,Jackie284, I've been using my FaceMaster about 5 or 6 weeks now. I MAY be seeing some improvement at this point. Not much, yet, though. I think it's worth it for me to keep at it. Smile

free skin care · Wed Aug 26, 2009 8:14 am

Hey Jackie - I know how frustrating it can be to suddenly wake up one day and notice unwanted changes in your facial shape, talk about disconcerting! Though age and hormones do play a factor in many cases, I've found that other unsuspecting issues may responsible; especially when lower face droopiness, sagging and puffiness is involved.

Here is the check list I run through that has helped me isolate *triggers* to facial changes that I otherwise would have ignored.

1) If there is an allergy-like symptom at play it may be due to a reaction from medication, either prescription or OTC. Have you introduced anything new into your system over the past 5 months? This list should also include any new supplements (herbal or otherwise).

2) Have your sleeping position(s) changed at all this year? Or have you started using any new pillows? This is really important because a lot of fluid can 'pool' in area's of the face and cause puffiness - more so if you suddenly start to sleep on your stomach or side too much. Changing the number of pillows can play a factor as well. My face always looks better in the AM if I can use two pillows to keep my head elevated somewhat while sleeping, but a damaged nerve in my neck restricts me to one pillow in order to align my spine properly. The only up side to aligning my spine is I have "trained" myself to sleep on my back and not spend too much time on my side or stomach. This will hopefully help in the long run to prevent wrinkle formation as a result of your face being squished against a pillow for extended periods if time, night after night. If anyone has noticed (as they age) that they are developing more wrinkles on one side of their face compared to the other, the first thing they should ask themselves is what side or position they favour when they're sleeping. It never ceases to amaze me how consistent the connection is between the two!

3) Do you snore or sleep with your mouth open, as in 'slack jawed'? I was utterly freaked out to discover that I was doing BOTH unknowingly EVERY NIGHT for quite some time! The only reason I discovered what my lower face was doing while I slept is because I was desperately searching for the cause(s) of the problems that were developing in the lower 3rd of my face compared to everywhere else. While massaging my jaw in bed one night I wondered if the problems were truly 'muscle' related and suddenly had a flash of an old black and white movie where the woman in the scene was wearing a "chin strap" when she went to bed. That inspired me to turn to my sweetie and ask him what my lower face looks like while I'm sleeping - boy was I floored by his response!

Knowing I was sleeping slack jawed with my mouth gaping open for approximately 240 hours a month (that's 8 hours a night x 30 days) prompted me to research chin straps, which are available but primarily used after people have had surgery. I have not ordered one yet and instead opted to try and train myself to sleep with my mouth closed. You are definitely utilizing muscles in your lower face/jaw to keep your mouth closed while sleeping and even more so if you can manage to keep your upper and lower teeth together, but not clamped shut, as you sleep. This is super challenging, to say the least, but I have noticed improvements in my lower face since I began to regularly massage it before bed and I make a concerted effort to sleep with my mouth closed or at the very least, with my lips together. I really feel there is a connection to sleeping slack jawed and your lower face becoming droopy. The next step is a chin strap for added support...but I'm holding off on this because I doubt my other half will be able to keep HIS mouth shut and not blab to the world that he sleeps next to someone who is not only in the 'corpse position', his words, not mine, but who is also becoming mummified with straps on her face! There is only so much a guy can take in the name of beauty!

4) Other things to consider - have you had any dental issues this year? Specifically with the lower teeth or your wisdom teeth? I had problems with two lower teeth and think this may have contributed to some of the puffiness. Again, massaging my jaw along the sides and right under the bone where your teeth are, as well as directly up to my lymph nodes really helped to reduce the puffiness and jowl area.

5) Lastly, have you lost weight, changed your diet, or experienced some form of "loss" or "stress" that has had an emotional impact on your nervous system?

Methods to improve your lower facial issues, such as massage and exercises and some gadgets, are effective but chances are you will remain in a never-ending battle unless you look deeper to see if there are other factors at work that are making the situation worse.

free skin care · Wed Aug 26, 2009 8:19 am

Thank you, ScotsLass. There may be a chin strap in my future. Wink

I clinch my teeth when I sleep. Boooooo.

free skin care · Wed Aug 26, 2009 8:35 am

Hi Mars! Since I've become preoccupied with keeping my mouth closed and teeth somewhat together while sleeping, I've now taken to occasionally chomping my teeth really HARD...which startles me right out of a deep sleep - arrrggghh! If this keeps up I have a feeling that a mouth guard AND a chin strap are in my future! Oh joy, the picture just gets prettier and prettier! Rolling Eyes

free skin care · Wed Aug 26, 2009 9:04 am

If this chin strap came in a breathable fabric (without any seams) I'd give it a try at night!www.wdrake.com - click on Health & Beauty, then Braces and Supports, then go to page 2.

free skin care · Wed Aug 26, 2009 9:21 am

Hi Scotslass,

thank you so much for taking the time to type such an informative reply. Funny thing is, a few months ago I decided to review my supplement intake and make more of an effort to be healthy. I started with trying to detox, and have used a couple of methods; green clay, milk thistle etc - this is when the changes seemed to start, although I thought it couldn't possibly be any of those as they are supposedly good for you !?

I also started taking wheatgrass, but this made my skin look quite grubby, so I stopped. I just can't seem to get rid of this doughy, puffy look in the bottom half of my face.

Prior to starting this health kick, I separated from my husband, but because I felt I knew that one was coming, I didn't think that would be the cause. Maybe a combo of both ??

many thanks again

Jackie xx

free skin care · Wed Aug 26, 2009 10:40 am

Oh, Wow!!! That's one good-lookin' chin strap.
NOT! Laughing

Thank you for the link.

free skin care · Thu Aug 27, 2009 9:38 am

Hi Jackie- have you looked over at the posts on green smoothies? Quite a few people have had great turn arounds in how their skin is looking after a few weeks of incorporating huge amounts of veggie smoothies into their diets.

free skin care · Fri Aug 28, 2009 10:38 am

Jackie284 wrote:

Hi Scotslass,

thank you so much for taking the time to type such an informative reply. Funny thing is, a few months ago I decided to review my supplement intake and make more of an effort to be healthy. I started with trying to detox, and have used a couple of methods; green clay, milk thistle etc - this is when the changes seemed to start, although I thought it couldn't possibly be any of those as they are supposedly good for you !?

I also started taking wheatgrass, but this made my skin look quite grubby, so I stopped. I just can't seem to get rid of this doughy, puffy look in the bottom half of my face.

Prior to starting this health kick, I separated from my husband, but because I felt I knew that one was coming, I didn't think that would be the cause. Maybe a combo of both ??

many thanks again

Jackie xx

Hi Jackie - I really do believe that there is a combination of issues that are affecting your skin right now. And as much as you were mentally prepared to separate from your husband, your nervous system will still go through a process of reacting to this significant change in your life. Now that you are on your own, it isn't uncommon for your body to purge or release a lot of bottled up (unhappy) emotions that you were unable to safely let got of while you were in the marriage. Many times the release is manifested through your skin or body in some form (unusual aches, pains, allergies, headaches, insomnia and even changes in facial shape). There is also a degree of *grieving* that takes place when you separate from a spouse, regardless of the fact that you wanted the marriage to end. Have you ever noticed that people who are grieving and/or stressed due to a form of loss (or separation) look as if they've aged overnight? It's as if their facial muscles go kaput in response to the situation for a period of time.

Do you practice yoga or meditation at all? Both are excellent for the body-mind connection and will help your nervous system unload and de-stress in a gentle way. You'll feel happier and more grounded if you can establish a regular routine of both. In return your body will release endorphins similar to when you work out. You will be amazed at how well your skin will respond.

Combine this with IMCathy's suggestion of taking green smoothies every day and I feel certain you will see great improvements in your face.

I am a huge fan of MSM to tighten my skin and take it in pure powder form to control my doses. I also combine it with Vitamin C powder since the two act synergistically to enhance collagen synthesis. If MSM is new to you I strongly suggest you read up on it in detail because the chances are very high that you will go through several intense phases of detoxification when you first begin to ingest it. This happened to me and it was horrible! The key is to start off will a small dose of MSM (no more than 1 gram) and work your way up as your body adjusts. This will ensure that your body does not become overloaded with die-off from too much detoxification at once. As soon as my body acclimated to the MSM I found that my allergies subsided considerably and that a history of sinus problems cleared up completely. Really amazing stuff! The added cherry on the top was weight loss and reduction in joint pain. Now I can't live without it because if I go off MSM my body really begins to feel like crap and my skin takes a real turn for the worse!

To re-cap suggestions to help tighten your skin, reduce puffiness, and improve facial contours:

1) MSM (OptiMSM) powder or caps + Vitamin C (I take ester-c buffered powder) - daily
2) Omega 3 capsules or Neptune Krill Oil capsules (will reduce inflammation & is an excellent anti-oxidant )
2) Green Smoothies - daily (people are reporting skin tightening benefits)
3) Facial massage - daily (really helps with circulation)
4) Dry Brushing lower face & neck with gentle bristle brush before washing face/showering - 1 x daily (again, really helps with circulation and tightening skin)
7) Meditation - daily if possible
Cool

Yoga - 3 times a week

HTH's - Smile

free skin care · Fri Aug 28, 2009 10:39 am

Mars wrote:

Oh, Wow!!! That's one good-lookin' chin strap.
NOT! Laughing

Thank you for the link.

LOL!!! So true - this chin strap really adds to the mummification look - ugh!!!!

free skin care · Fri Aug 28, 2009 1:12 pm

Hi ScotsLass,

once again a fantastic and informative reply. Seems i thought I was handling things quite well, but I suppose we can't hide these things from our bodies and faces!

I've just begun to take MSM again, I had tried in the past but had trouble sleeping. This time around I'm sleeping unusually heavy, feel jittery and seem to be quite bloated around the middle - are these symptoms normal ? What kind of 'die off' symptoms did you experience ?

thanks again

Jackie xx

free skin care · Fri Aug 28, 2009 3:07 pm

Hey Jackie - glad to have helped in any way! Smile

Yes, in the beginning I did have lots of bloating and gas and SEVERE headaches in addition to some diarrhea and body aches (it really was horrible!). I also had trouble sleeping if I took any MSM too late in the day as it made me jittery. In fact I still have to be really careful about the timing of MSM in my system or I won't be able to fall asleep easily. Since I struggle with candida, and probably had some parasites floating around in my digestive system when I began taking MSM, my die-off phase from detoxification may have been more intense than others. I was able to reduce some of the worst detox symptoms by lowering the dose of MSM for the first two+ weeks. As soon as the headaches & bloating & gas stopped, I began to up the amount of MSM by 1/2 a gram at a time until I reached the desired level (in my case 4 to 5 grams a day). I also added a probiotic that I took at night before bed and this really helped a lot. The good bacteria in my digestive tract was being disturbed by all the rapid detoxing, so the probiotic was helping to replenish the loss.

If you persist through this nasty detox period you will come out the other end with minimal, if any, reactions in the future (with the possible exception of MSM overstimulating you if you take it too late in the day). Sleeping very heavily is either a positive or negative symptom. The answer lies in how you wake up - are you feeling sand-bagged after a heavy sleep or do you feel refreshed? If you feel sand-bagged your body is still detoxing.

From personal experience I know too well what it's like to be convinced you are handling a difficult situation well in your life, yet things are running amok with your body and you can't fathom out why. The subconscious mind is so powerful as are the emotions and memories that you store on a cellular level - everything is so intricately linked. Which is why I am such a firm believer in the entire mind-body connection and no longer focus exclusively on topical potions to solve all my skin care issues. For me, the best solutions are consistently coming from treating the whole body (mental, emotional and physical health) and not just one component.

Hugs,
~Scots

free skin care · Fri Aug 28, 2009 3:21 pm

Before I would go and strap your chin into a closed position, I think it would be EXTREMELY important to determine if you breath through your mouth. Do you snore? Gasp for air. Sleep apnea is VERY common, and if you're best source of oxygen in through your mouth (although if everything is functioning well, you should breath through your NOSE.), you could age yourself to an extreme (do to even worse air intake), and right into death.

And for the record, yes, I think the changes in hormones can have a SEVERE aging effect, and it really won't matter what you do, with the exception of maybe slow down aging appearance... You should talk to your OB/GYN to see where you might be out of balance (blood tests), get your minerals tested, and see if you're deficient in anything. Address your body internally first. Not doing so is like putting a band aid on a severed limb.

I suspect that some of the most dramatic changes you see in woman in their 40's and 50's are those that start menopause with a ticker-tape period. They age almost overnight. They can start a ton of anti aging products and such, and if their hormones are regulated... they can look like a living miracle. If they DON'T address the internal problems, they will continue to age at exponential rates, and often will blame every single product they've tried on their cont'd downward spiral. It's a rough road to say the least.

I think sudden aging should be address like sudden weight loss or gain. Determine if there's an underlyi

free skin care · Fri Aug 28, 2009 8:44 pm

From everything I've read about the external effects of peri and menopause, it scares the bejeevers outa me. I'm 43 and have not long gone for a complete blood and saliva test to see where my hormones stand.
Haywire hormones can make you look like crap suddenly, and I want to get to it before it can happen. It's a good place to start for you.

free skin care · Tue Sep 01, 2009 2:37 am

Hi ScotsLass,

I'm really trying to tought it out with the MSM detox symptoms. I'm taking only very small doses to try and get used to it. Any ideas how long these effects may last ? I feel a little bit anxious and my night time tooth grinding has gotten worse, so I'm hoping these will pass,

thanks again for all your help

Jackie xx

free skin care · Tue Sep 01, 2009 6:39 am

Overall, menopause hasn't been bad for me. I was perimenopausal only for about a year and a half before I completely stopped having periods. I've had some hot flashes but am taking pycnogenol supplements which have helped tremendously with those. The one main change I've experienced is facial sagging. I'm working on correcting that though without hormones (which I really do believe make a difference in the skin). It was interesting to me that ScotsLass mentioned sleeping. One side of my face definitely has more sag than the other - it's very lopsided. I kept wondering why in the world that was, and I now realize thanks to ScotsLass that it's because I lay on that side of my face when I'm sleeping. It's the side my clock is on. I'm trying to train myself to sleep on my back but so far haven't had any success. If anyone has any pointers for me, I'd greatly appreciate it.

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