Menopause bites, and I have the hickey to prove it.
I have medium fair skin with sun damage (hey, in the seventies we hadn’t even heard of worrying about our skin’s future after sun damage). Now in the early stages of meno, my neck and upper chest look like they’ve been gnawed on by chipmunks. I just started noticing the redness over the past few months, but I think it’s been going on for a while now and I’d just ignored it, thought it was sunburn or a slight flushing from exertion.
Then I realized I hadn’t been out in the sun. My latest exertion doesn’t go much beyond climbing a couple of flights of stairs. It’s not sunburn or flushing, and it shows no signs of going away.
It’s not itchy, not flaky, (thank goodness for small favors), just red, blotchy and unappealing.
Menopause has already made me humble about my appearance, and now this.
Isn’t it enough that although my weight is the same, my waist has disappeared? Can’t menopause be satisfied with the plain old age spots on my hands and cheeks? Must my sagging jaw line now compete with the neon signage of the red blotches on my chest that scream “She’s in menopause! Ha-ha-ha! Look at that tomato skin!”
Some women might say, “Oh, just put a turtleneck on and forget it!” Point well-taken, but living in the South and already being “warm” in general from roller-coaster hormones has me unwilling to turtleneck-it. What have I got to be ashamed of?
So I’m going to brash it out. The plan: wear my usual v-necks, and dare anyone to look twice at me, yes, getting my glow on.
Go ahead, I just dare ya.
Melanie, I loved, LOVED your post! Thank you for speaking the truth, and speaking for all the women that are menopausal. LOL! More right you couldn't be about our unwanted symptoms.
ReplyDeleteI think the worse for me has been the age spots. Being Latina, with darker skin, I've had the spots show up on my face, bad-enough that it created shadows and circles under my eyes!! And makeup tended to make it worse. I couldn't hide them. So I learned to live with them. Fortunately, many have begun to disappear. Yippeee!
I think I am going through a time of bad depression, due to menopause, because I have not written much on that in a while. But you writing on the subject, and expressing for me and the other ladies, is very much appreciated. Thank you!!
Take care, and just keep on flaunting your red blotches. Let us stand tall and proud. (Smile!)
~Virginia
I have the face spots, too, but I'm saving them for another post, lol. My own mother has looked at my face and said, "What are those spots?" I have to laugh or they will take me away. I'm sorry if depression has got you. You are not alone! Some days I just want to pull the covers back over my head. We'll get through this somehow. You are a lovely lady and an excellent writer!
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