Hello, and welcome to another Mailbag Friday! Dr. Ryan Shelton here, and I’m so eager to share some insights into two compelling questions that dive deep into the ins and outs of skincare. Our first question of the day comes from Nora in Atlantic City, NJ.
Q: Hi Dr. Ryan! I’ve recently noticed my skin starting to sag, and worst of all, I’m getting acne again. My doctor said it’s because of perimenopause, but my question to you is how do I fix my skin?
A: Hi Nora! I’m sorry to hear that you’re struggling with your skin right now! Perimenopause can be tough for many women because it can be frustrating to deal with all these changes in your skin. The good news is that I have a few tips to help you today! Let’s get started...
Hormonal changes during Perimenopause can lead to a reduction in estrogen, causing various shifts in the skin's structure and function.
In your case, you’re noticing some acne flare-ups as well as a loss of collagen, which is causing that sagging skin you mentioned.
To start, I want to recommend something that will help replenish your collagen and get your skin looking firmer and more sculpted…
A collagen-building serum (like my Collagen Filler Serum) can be just what you need to help rebuild your complexion and reverse some of that sagging.
These serums work by using ingredients like Soluble Collagen to penetrate the skin and help provide a little extra support to the areas that need it most.
This will help get rid of some of that sagging and it will also help fill in any wrinkles or fine lines you may have!
To give your body even more help with producing more collagen, I’d suggest looking into peptides.
Peptides are going to signal to your skin that it’s time to start kicking collagen production into overdrive, and peptides like Matrixyl Synthe’6 and SNAP-8 are going to be two of many that will start you off on a good note.
Both of these peptides are in my Repair and Release Cream, so check it out if you want to give yourself the best shot at getting those results faster!
Now, let’s talk about your acne flare-ups…
These are a little more simple to treat, although they can be quite stubborn and you may have to put up with them for a bit.
The best thing to do for acne is to keep your skin clean and avoid touching your face.
Keeping the skin clean with a cleanser that has anti-bacterial ingredients - like the tea tree oil in my Lavender Oil Cleanser - is a good idea. This will help keep bacteria away from your acne which will make it heal faster!
In the same vein - touching your face only encourages bacteria to spread, so you’ll want to keep your fingers away from your skin as much as possible.
And that’s pretty much all there is to it!
I hope these suggestions help, Nora. Let me know if there’s anything else you want to know about keeping your skin looking its best during this phase of your life!
Our next question is from Emma in Sedona, AZ.
Q: Hi Dr. Ryan. Why is collagen so important for my skin and how can I use it to help me look younger?
A: Hi Emma! This is such a fascinating question, and I’m so excited to answer it because it lets us dive into the way our skin is structured, which will help us understand our complexions better and give it what it needs. Let’s get stuck in!
Collagen, often referred to as the fountain of youth, plays a vital role in maintaining the elasticity and firmness of our skin.
Without Collagen, our skin would sag and have no shape to it!
Collagen acts as a support network, providing structure and resilience. Think of it as the scaffolding that keeps our skin taut and supple.
As we age, the natural production of collagen starts to slow to a crawl, resulting in sagging skin, fine lines, and wrinkles.
To help increase collagen production in the skin, we need to turn towards ingredients…
Incorporating ingredients like retinol, found in both my Retinol Defense Cream and Retinol PM Booster, can stimulate collagen production, promoting skin renewal while diminishing the appearance of fine lines.
Retinol is a popular solution to many signs of aging, which is why it’s all the rage right now!
Another ingredient worth mentioning is soluble collagen, found in my Collagen Filler Serum. This ingredient helps rebuild the network of collagen in your skin, making it an ideal choice for anyone who’s noticing sagging or wrinkles and fine lines!
With these two ingredients, you’re giving your skin a pretty good helping hand when it comes to restoring the structure of your skin.
I hope this helped you understand the way our skin works better, Emma. Thanks for asking such an interesting question!
