What does a woman in her 40s look like? Introducing the relationship with female hormones and measures to keep youthful!

“Since I entered my 40s, I have been worried about spots, sagging, and wrinkles.” Many women in their 40s suffer from such changes in appearance.

Female hormones are known to affect skin and hair, and in general, female hormones fluctuate and decline in the 40s. However, there are many young and beautiful women in their 40s and 50s.

In this article, we explain the relationship between female hormones and appearance and measures to keep youth. By all means, please refer to women in their 40s who are concerned about their appearance.

Find out in this article

• Concerns about the appearance of women in their 40s
• Do Female Hormones Affect Your Appearance?
• Causes of low female hormones
• Maintain a healthy body and take measures to look youthful
• You can receive a medical interview supervised by a doctor for free on LINE

Concerns about the appearance of women in their 40s

Women in their 40s tend to have skin and hair problems such as “spots and freckles,” “sagging,” “wrinkles,” and “thin hair and gray hair .”

In their twenties, there are many skin problems such as “acne, pimples” and “blackheads and conspicuous pores,” but as they age, the number of women who have problems such as spots and sagging increases. A survey of women in their 40s and 50s by a cosmetics manufacturer found that they began to feel aging at an average age of 40.6.

Do Female Hormones Affect Your Appearance?

Estrogen, one of the female hormones, is known to affect skin and hair .

Estrogen promotes the synthesis of collagen, increases the secretion of sebum, and retains moisture, and is said to give the skin firmness and luster. Therefore, when estrogen is reduced, the firmness of the skin decreases, and skin changes such as dryness, sagging, and wrinkles occur. In addition to aging and UV rays, female hormone imbalance is thought to be one of the causes of the type of spots called chloasma.

Causes of low female hormones

The decrease in female hormones after the age of 40 is due to the decline in ovarian function due to aging .

When women reach menopause, their ovarian function declines, and their female hormone levels fluctuate greatly. Menopause is defined as the five years before and after menopause, when menstruation stops permanently. Although there are individual differences, the average age of menopause in Japan is about 50, so menopause is between 45 and 55 years old.

Menopause, when female hormones fluctuate and decline, is a time when a woman's mind and body change, including the impact on her appearance.

Take measures to maintain a healthy body and look youthful!

Unfortunately, age-related decline in ovarian function cannot be stopped. However, there are many women who look youthful and lively despite their age.

In addition to aging, female hormones can also be affected by daily diet and environment. Therefore, reviewing daily lifestyle habits is not only a measure to maintain a healthy body, but also a measure to maintain a youthful appearance . Next, we will introduce self-care that can also be a measure to keep a youthful appearance.

• watch your diet
• exercise moderately
• get good quality sleep
• do not accumulate stress
• prepare with Chinese medicine

take care of food

Eating the right amount of food is the key to maintaining hormonal balance.

There is no specific food that increases female hormones, but isoflavones, which act like estrogen, are said to be good for countering fluctuations in female hormones after the age of 40. Isoflavones are abundant in soybeans, tofu, miso, and natto. A well-balanced menu centered on Japanese cuisine is recommended.

Also, according to a study that investigated the relationship between women's dietary habits and menstrual problems, it was reported that skipping breakfast had a negative impact on menstrual disorders1). In addition to the meal content, let's eat three meals a day properly .

exercise moderately

Do moderate exercise such as walking and stretching. After menopause, when female hormones decrease, not only does the skin deteriorate, but bones tend to become fragile, and people are more susceptible to lifestyle-related diseases such as obesity and heart disease.

Impressions of youth change not only with the skin, but also with the body shape and lively facial expressions . Moderate exercise is important no matter how old you are to maintain your health and keep you young.

get a good night's sleep

Good sleep helps balance hormones . Many women in their 40s are busy with child-rearing, housework, work, and many other things, and cannot get enough sleep.

There are also reports of menopausal women complaining of symptoms such as poor quality of sleep, lack of sleep, waking up at night, and apnea syndrome 2). If you don't think you're getting a good night's sleep, avoid using your smartphone before going to bed and make sure you get enough sleep.

do not accumulate stress

Stress is the enemy of hormonal imbalance . Female hormones are secreted from the ovaries, but are actually controlled by hormones from the brain. For this reason, it is believed that when stress is present, the transmission of hormones from the brain is impaired, resulting in irregular menstruation such as anovulation and amenorrhea3).

Since people in their 40s are prone to stress at home and at work, it is important to find a way to relieve stress that suits you. Especially when you feel stressed out, it is recommended to soak in the bathtub slowly.

Adjust female hormones with Chinese medicine

Chinese herbal medicines are often used for menopausal women who complain of mental and physical disorders because no cause can be found even after examination.

Kampo medicine specializes in “indefinite complaints,” in which a variety of symptoms appear and the cause cannot be identified. Women experience hormonal balance changes every month, and the amount of estrogen secreted varies greatly depending on the life stage. Especially during menopause, many women complain of indefinite complaints, so it is said to be compatible with herbal medicine.

However, since Kampo medicines have individual compatibility, it is more important than anything to choose the one that suits your constitution and symptoms.

Read the following articles together → Regulate female hormones with herbal medicine

You can receive a medical interview supervised by a doctor for free on LINE

There are many people who think, "Is there no choice but to go to the hospital if you want to get the proper Kampo medicine for yourself?"

You can ask your doctor to prescribe the herbal medicine that suits you, or you can purchase it at a herbal pharmacy. Now there is also a way to buy online.

There are also online shops where you can consult a pharmacist and purchase the herbal medicine that suits you. With a simple LINE registration, you will be able to receive a medical interview supervised by a doctor for free.

▼ You can consult Kampo on LINE
Click here for a free consultation supervised by a doctor

summary

In this article, we introduced the relationship between female hormones and appearance, as well as measures to maintain youthfulness, for those in their 40s who are concerned about their appearance. The points are the following three points.

• When you reach your 40s, you have more problems with your appearance, such as spots and freckles, sagging, wrinkles, and thinning hair and gray hair.
• Estrogen, which affects skin and hair, decreases due to the decline in ovarian function due to aging.
• In order to maintain a youthful appearance, there are things such as paying attention to diet and sleep, moderate exercise, and not accumulating stress.

As we age, we all experience changes in our appearance. Changes in appearance and female hormones are related, so the number of women who are worried about their appearance tends to increase, especially in their 40s.

However, as you age, your inner beauty often increases, and there are many women who look youthful and beautiful. First of all, why don't you review your lifestyle and start with things that you can incorporate such as self-care?

References

1) Tomoko Fujiwara. Skipping breakfast adversely affects menstrual disorders in young college students.2009 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19468949/

2) Giulia Gava.Cognition, Mood and Sleep in Menopausal Transition: The Role of Menopause Hormone Therapy.2019 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6843314/

3) Hiroko Komura. Women's stress diseases seen from menstruation.2014 https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jjpm/54/7/54_KJ00009378966/_pdf