Written by Dr J S S Dev

Medically reviewed by Dr Valsala

Updated on January 12, 2025

The Yoga Guide to Manage Skin Changes in Menopause

Q: Can Yoga reverse menopausal skin changes?

Yoga can't reverse changes entirely but significantly improves skin health by reducing dryness and acne and promoting elasticity.

Q: How often should you practise Yoga for skin improvement?

Consistent practice, around 3-4 times a week, is recommended for any noticeable changes.

Q: Can facial yoga exercises reduce wrinkles?

Regular facial yoga can tone muscles and improve circulation, thus potentially reducing fine lines.

Q: What are the lifestyle changes that complement Yoga for skin health?

Hydration, a nutritious diet, stress reduction, and skincare routines are important.

Q: Is Yoga suitable for all fitness levels during menopause?

Yoga can be adapted; starting slowly and seeking guidance is recommended.

Life after 50 is incredible. Once you have crossed half a century, you will want your life to be smooth and healthy so that you can be carefree. But as a woman, among the many hurdles that you have to cross, your body tries to pause you with menopause, and this physiological process in women can drastically change your life in so many ways. One of the things that menopause alters is your skin health.

Women all over the world who are going through menopause are searching for solutions that can balance the menopausal symptoms that they go through. This is where holistic practices like Yoga and Ayurveda can play their parts. This blog will enlighten you about how Yoga can protect and improve your skin during the challenging phase of menopause.

Jump to section

Exploring the Relationship Between Menopause and Your Skin
Skin Transitions During Menopause
How Does Yoga Help Achieve Hormonal Balance
Face Yoga and Facial Exercises for Flawless Skin
To Conclude

Exploring the Relationship Between Menopause and Your Skin

We will begin by looking into the relationship between menopause and your skin and why this relationship happens. As you all know, hormonal imbalance occurs during menopause, and this imbalance can lead to skin changes.

Oestrogen and Your Skin: Among other functions of oestrogen, it plays a role in keeping your skin hydrated and plum. Due to decreased levels of oestrogen, your skin becomes thin and dry.
Male Sex Hormones (Androgens): The male sex hormones in your body during menopause may slightly increase. This can cause hormonal acne, which is very similar to the acne that teenagers experience (so menopause can make you a teenager with a lot of experience).
Collagen Production and Your Skin: Collagen is a protein that gives your skin structure and elasticity. Ageing can cause a decrease in collagen production, and menopause accelerates this process.

Skin Transitions During Menopause

The most common skin issues a menopausal woman experiences are:

Dryness of the skin
Itching
Hormonal acne
Sagging skin
Wrinkles and fine lines
Age spots

How Does Yoga Help Achieve Hormonal Balance

Yoga, a holistic practice which is widely accepted, can help you to cope with the hormonal imbalance during menopause. Let us look in detail into this.

Yoga helps attain hormonal balance by:

Reducing Stress

Stress is proven to disturb hormonal balance effectively. Yoga is highly effective in reducing stress levels.

Improving Your Circulation

By improving blood circulation to your endocrine glands, Yoga helps to improve hormonal production and regulation.

Specific Yoga Poses for Hormonal Balance

Some of the best and most effective yoga poses for hormonal balance include:

Downward-facing dog pose
Plough pose
Cobra pose
Sun salutations
Child pose
Bridge pose
Fish pose

How to Perform These Poses?

Begin with several rounds of Kapalapati Pranayama, which helps warm up and cleanse the sinuses.
Follow a few sets of sun salutations for warm and increasing circulation.
Hold the poses mentioned above for 30-60 seconds.
End your session by following a few rounds of Nadi Shodhana Pranayama. It helps balance the brain's left and right hemispheres and reduces stress.

Face Yoga and Facial Exercises for Flawless Skin

Face Yoga: You may have heard this before from your favourite celebrities. It is popular among the models, actors and top skin brands. Face yoga benefits your skin health by:

Toning and strengthening your facial muscles.	Help to lift and tighten the skin and also reduces saggy skin.
Increase in blood circulation.	Improving blood circulation to your face improves skin tone and texture and reduces fine lines and wrinkles.
Promotes lymphatic drainage.	Removes toxins and waste products from your skin, which makes your skin more clear and reduces puffiness.

How to do Facial Yoga?

Let's discuss a few simple facial yoga exercises you can try:

1. Forehead Smoother

Keep your fingertips on your forehead just above your eyebrows.
Gently put pressure on your fingertips and slowly slide them upwards towards your hairline.
Repeat this ten times.

2. Cheek Lifter

Keep your fingers on your cheekbone just below your eyes.
Slowly press your fingers upwards towards your jawline and then gradually slide them downwards.
Repeat this ten times.

3. Jawline Toner

Keep your fingertips on your chin.
Slowly press your fingertips upwards, then gradually slide them downwards towards your jawline.
Repeat this ten times.

4. Neck Smoother

Tilt your head back and look upwards at the ceiling.
Keep your fingertips on your neck and gently massage downwards to your collarbones.
Repeat this ten times.

Note: Always be gentle while performing these practices, and never push yourself hard. Ensure your face and fingertips are clean and dry, not your fingernails.

Holistic Skin Care for Menopause

Your skin is the largest organ in your body. Facial yoga techniques can care for your facial skin, but addressing your general health is equally important. Ayurveda techniques like abhyanga (medicated oil massage), Virechana (induced purgation therapy), and Rasayana (rejuvenation techniques) can benefit and improve your general skin health. Following are some of the basic principles that you have to adhere to have better skin strictly:

Hydration	During menopause, adequate hydration is crucial for healthy skin. Dehydration can lead to dryness, flakiness, itchiness, and accentuated fine lines and wrinkles. Drinking plenty of water throughout your day is a simple yet effective way to ensure you remain hydrated. Besides, eating fruits and vegetables that have high water content helps keep you hydrated.
Nutrition	Eating a healthy diet is crucial for healthy skin. Intake of many fruits, vegetables and whole grains that are vitamin-rich, mineral-rich and antioxidant-rich, essential for skin health. You should not regularly intake processed foods, sugary drinks, and unhealthy fats, as they could cause damage to your skin and contribute to signs of ageing.
Stress Reduction	Stress can cause skin problems by releasing cortisol, which breaks down collagen and elastin, proteins that keep skin firm and youthful. You can try healthy coping mechanisms like exercise, yoga, and meditation to reduce stress. Avoiding stress triggers in your life can also be helpful.

Hydration

During menopause, adequate hydration is crucial for healthy skin. Dehydration can lead to dryness, flakiness, itchiness, and accentuated fine lines and wrinkles.

Drinking plenty of water throughout your day is a simple yet effective way to ensure you remain hydrated. Besides, eating fruits and vegetables that have high water content helps keep you hydrated.

Nutrition

Eating a healthy diet is crucial for healthy skin. Intake of many fruits, vegetables and whole grains that are vitamin-rich, mineral-rich and antioxidant-rich, essential for skin health.

You should not regularly intake processed foods, sugary drinks, and unhealthy fats, as they could cause damage to your skin and contribute to signs of ageing.

Stress Reduction

Stress can cause skin problems by releasing cortisol, which breaks down collagen and elastin, proteins that keep skin firm and youthful.

You can try healthy coping mechanisms like exercise, yoga, and meditation to reduce stress. Avoiding stress triggers in your life can also be helpful.

To Conclude

Who doesn't like glowing skin? Skin radiates your personality and your hygiene. It is a directive indicative of your overall health. During menopause, your body accelerates skin ageing. Please address it seriously. Yoga is a powerful tool to care for your health and balance your hormones.

This blog post has discussed details about yoga poses that can balance hormones and improve skin health. Stop being confused, step into the Yogic world, and make the second half of your life glow with your healthy skin.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can Yoga reverse menopausal skin changes?

How often should you practise Yoga for skin improvement?

Can facial yoga exercises reduce wrinkles?

What are the lifestyle changes that complement Yoga for skin health?

Is Yoga suitable for all fitness levels during menopause?

Dr J S S Dev

Dr. J S S Dev is a passionate Ayurveda practitioner dedicated to promoting a holistic approach to health and well-being. With a profound understanding of Ayurvedic principles, he focuses on the power of prevention through ancient wisdom. Through insightful teachings and personalised guidance, he empowers individuals to embrace Ayurveda as a way of life, enabling them to proactively prevent diseases and cultivate a path to optimal health. With a firm belief in the body's innate capacity to heal, Dr. Dev is committed to helping people lead enriched lives by harmonising the mind, body, and spirit using the timeless principles of Ayurveda.