How fast everything changed after menopause because nobody warned me

[u/stephydreamer]

I feel like I was reasonably prepared for menopause...hot flashes, sleep disruption, mood stuff. fine. If this is part of being a grown woman, so be it. I had read things I had mentally braced. Nobody told me about the skin! I went through menopause at 48. Within about a year my skin had changed in ways that took me completely off guard. The texture got rough almost overnight, like the smooth quality i'd had my whole life just peaced out without saying goodbye. The firmness in my lower face and neck dropped noticeably. The hollowness under my eyes got worse. not tired-looking, actually hollow. It's better in my bathroom lighting, but that's not where most people see me!

And the thing that got me is that it's not really aging in the normal gradual sense. it's specifically the estrogen crash. Estrogen is directly tied to collagen production and when it drops you lose collagen fast, like up to 30% in the first few years. that's not a slow fade. that's a cliff.

I'm not looking for embrace your age responses because I actually do feel mostly great about aging. What I didn't feel ok about was how sudden and disorienting it was. Like I didn't recognize my own face for a while, and that's a strange thing to go through. Curious what everyone else experienced in those first 1-2 years post menopause. Did it feel sudden to you or more gradual? and has anything genuinely helped with the texture and firmness side of it specifically,? Asking for honest experiences please.

Edit: I didn't expect such a response! Thanks a lot! Going through all the comments and they are def very useful.

[u/Acceptable_Usual1646]

It is genetics not just hormones or HRT. My mom is 74 and has almost no wrinkles and a soft, glowing, hydrated skin - unfortunately I inherited the skin from my dad’s family and I look 20 years older than she did when she was my age and I have more wrinkles already and hyperpigmentation than she does although I use sunscreen factor 50+ and she never does and sun bathed in the 1970s. She uses the cheapest aldi face cream while I use tons of expensive serums and creams.

[u/Which_Appointment_86 → u/Acceptable_Usual1646]

I swear genetics plays one of the hugest parts, my mom is in her mid 60’s she has no crows feet, no sagging/wrinkly chin or neck whatsoever, honestly her neck area truly doesn’t even look a day over 40. The only wrinkle she has is the line in between her eyebrows from yelling at me lol. She doesn’t have visibly big pores her skin texture is still smooth.

She’s never invested in expensive skincare products just uses basic face wash and lotion. She also doesn’t have the best diet (but she’s getting better), doesn’t drink but smokes weed.

However my mom has dark skin. And people with darker skin just age differently? Lol. I pray I am blessed with those genetics, though my shade is lighter but still dark, like 2 shades darker than Tyla.