Real Women: Honest Advice
What the experiences of real women tell us about menopause
Menopause. It’s a natural process that will affect every woman at some point in her life. Yet, until very recently menopause was rarely talked about. Luckily, times are changing with more conversations occurring – both in the media and in our daily lives.
It’s great to see public figures like Michelle Obama, Davina McCall, Lorraine Kelly and Emma Thompson sharing stories about their own menopause. But it’s not just celebs. Real women’s voices are being heard too.
As research and media coverage of menopause grows, we’re learning more about the varied experiences women encounter during menopause. These stories add to and expand our understanding of menopause, giving women more strategies to help manage their own menopause.
Expanding menopause knowledge
At Emepelle we put scientific evidence at the heart of everything we do. Yet we believe the anecdotal stories from real women provide a wealth of insights too. With this in mind, we recently conducted an in-depth survey to find out how menopause effects women.
Our Real Women survey gathered responses from over 90 women, who shared their thoughts on everything from managing the physical symptoms of menopause to addressing the emotional impact. In their open and honest feedback, the women also shared a wealth of advice for others approaching or going through menopause. Here are just a few of their comments:
“Do your research, talk to others so you don’t feel alone. Talk to your partner, talk to your line manager, join forums/groups. And stop looking for the one size fits all miracle pill, there isn’t one. Do what you can to look after yourself, practice self-care. There are wonderful opportunities waiting post menopause it's worth exploring options and find out what works for you.”
Clare, 66
“Tell people and talk about it so that you can start understanding what menopause is and what it isn’t and to realise you’re not alone or going mad.”
Suzanne, 51
“Ask others about their experience and share yours. We can all help each other better understand menopause and help each other to cope.”
Emepelle Community Member
“Get as much information as possible. Talk not just to professionals but share your experiences with friends and family. They are there to support you - don't feel embarrassed.”
Helena, 56
“Talk to as many people as possible including your GP. Everyone’s experience is different. Don’t be afraid to admit you’re struggling.”
Carol, 63
“Read up as much as you can about the menopause and talk about it with your friends. Sharing experiences and also having a laugh along the way helps so much, you have a much better understanding of what you're going through.”
Deborah, 56
Let's talk
Although it’s a completely natural stage of life, menopause can also be a challenging time. A common theme in our respondent’s advice was to talk to others if you’re worried about any issues surrounding menopause.
With unexpected symptoms arising for the first time, it’s natural to feel anxious and confused. The good news is there’s a huge amount of advice and support available – both from healthcare professionals and from friends and family. And when you start talking about menopause with others, you may be surprised to discover how many women in your social circle or online groups are going through the same thing.
At first, talking about menopause can seem hard. But speaking out about the symptoms and challenges of menopause offers many benefits. When we start talking, we feel less alone and any problems we’re facing quickly appear more manageable. The more women talk about their experiences, the greater our shared knowledge of menopause will be.
When life throws a curveball
In ‘normal’ times, talking might mean catching up with friends for a cuppa or an evening out. But what can we do when things are far from normal while we’re living under COVID-19 restrictions?
Although meeting face-to-face with friends and loved ones might be more difficult right now, technology makes it easy to connect with both friends and like-minded women across the world who are also going through menopause. There are a host of different health and wellbeing websites, as well as more specialised menopause communities where women come to chat about their challenges, victories and more.
One popular forum is Henpicked, an online community of almost 100,000 members, where mid-life women share advice, stories and inspiration. One of the UK’s fastest-growing websites, Henpicked provides a wealth of information for women aged predominantly in the 40 and over age group.
Deborah Garlick from Henpicked told us about the ethos behind the community’s creation:
“We saw a need for Henpicked as there were lots of online resources for young adults and pregnant women but not much for mid-life women. Henpicked is here to give women a place to have their say, sparking discussion, promoting healthy debate and bringing about positive change.”
Make time for yourself
As well as finding opportunities to talk to others about menopause, it’s also important to reassess your day-to-day habits once menopause begins. The regimes that have served you well for years might not be right for you during this new phase of your life. A good example is your skincare regime. It’s natural for women to stick with the skincare brands they’ve always used but your skin can change dramatically during perimenopause and menopause. It’s therefore beneficial to switch to a skincare product that’s formulated especially for menopausal skin.
89 per cent of the women who responded to our Real Women survey told us that they have changed their skincare regime in response to the changes caused by ageing and menopause.
“I have been using Emepelle for over five weeks now, and I am convinced that that my skin looks better than ever because of it. It brightens and evens the skin tone like nothing else.”
Ornela
How Emepelle helps tackle changes to the skin caused by menopause
Emepelle is the first and only skincare range to feature MEP Technology®. This new class of cosmeceutical ingredient is designed specifically to reinvigorate the natural functions of skin affected by the declining oestrogen levels during menopause.
Emepelle rejuvenates menopausal skin by encouraging the skin to behave as if the oestrogen were still there. MEP is non-hormonal which means it doesn’t add oestrogen to the body. Instead, it encourages key skin cells to activate new oestrogen receptors.
Women who have switched to Emepelle report skin that’s firmer, brighter and more hydrated. The unique formulation is packed with effective anti-ageing ingredients including retinol, peptides, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid as well as intensive moisturisers and antioxidants.
What next?
Over the next few months we’ll be sharing more of the insights from our Real Women survey. To make sure you receive our latest news, exclusive offers and updates, sign up to the Emepelle edit now.
