Dr. Keira Barr: The Skin Whisperer for Women Over 40 | Hot Flashes & Cool Topics Podcast

https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/js2avt/DrBarr_final_-_1_13_21_1239_PM7hc47.mp3

EPISODE SUMMARY:

Peri/Menopause may cause women’s bodies to experience a plethora of emotional and physical changes, one of those most disturbing changes being our skin. As we age, our skin ages with us, and it can be hard to navigate how best to help our skin healthy while also looking and feeling its best.

On today’s episode, we spoke with Dr. Keira Barr about skincare and the best ways to take care of our skin during midlife. One of Dr. Barr’s most important philosophies is that our insides affect our outsides, and she explained to us that our skin can be a big indicator to what’s going on within our bodies. Changes in skin can point towards a myriad of different internal issues such as nutritional deficiencies, lack of sleep, and hormonal imbalances. We then asked Keira about her journey with becoming interested in her skin, and she shared with us that she had personal experience with melanoma. The experience made her realize that she needed to be more in tune with her body and really pay attention to how it was changing.

When asked about common complaints perimenopausal women have about their skin, Keira said that many women begin having more prominent fine lines and wrinkles, skin sagging and dryness due to hormonal imbalances and stress. As our skin ages, the products we used when we were younger don’t have the same effect on us, and Keira spoke to us about the importance of changing products that work best with aging skin. Midlife women should use gentler products and avoid fragrance. We asked about suggestions Keira may have for treating menopausal acne, and she told us that the best ways to get rid of acne are to get more rest and to boost nutrition intake to help make your body more balanced. Stress has a strong impact on the body, and Keira shared with us that for midlife women, stress from perimenopause and menopause can cause hair loss, hair thinning, an increase in facial hair, and gut issues.

For the first steps to dealing with perimenopausal skin issues, Keira said that after speaking with her clients and putting them on the proper hormones, she has them do a urine test to ensure that their pH levels and other levels are becoming balanced, since balanced levels help prevent acne. Keira is very educated in midlife skincare, but many doctors aren’t, and we spoke to her about the importance of medical professionals understanding menopause and how it impacts women. Keira also added that it is important women be their own advocates and be in tune with their bodies. She wants women to love themselves and their bodies and spoke about how she helps women achieve self-love at their own pace by taking baby steps to balance themselves and their hormone levels. We asked Keira if she had any tips for women who may be unsure how to communicate menopausal issues with their spouse, and she explained that a woman first needs to acknowledge that she’s struggling and needs outside support before talking to their spouse to seek that support.

We then asked about other skin changes and complaints menopausal women have, and Keira mentioned that along with fine lines and wrinkles, one of the biggest changes to aging skin is pigmentary changes. Because of this, Keira emphasized how it important it is for women to check their own bodies at least once a month for any changes or abnormalities to their skin. Finally, we asked about the best ways to get in touch with Keira, and let us know that she can be reached through her website and her social media.

Keira Barr:

Dr. Keira Barr

Dr. Keira Barr is a prominent leader in women’s medicine – creating a bridge between hormones, skin and mind-body medicine to optimize women’s mid-life experience. A fierce patient advocate and completely dedicated to uncovering the root cause of hormonal imbalances, Dr. Barr empowers women worldwide to take control of their health and their hormones in menopause.

She is an international speaker, best-selling author, clinical educator, and considered a leading authority on women’s health. As a former Assistant Clinical Professor at UC Davis in the departments of dermatology and pathology, editorial reviewer of multiple leading medical journals, medical advisor within the personal care and tech communities, and researcher in clinical trials, Dr Barr is dedicated to providing the most-cutting edge and innovative solutions for women. Her work has been featured in the MindBodyGreen, Bustle, Reader’s Digest, Glamour, SELF, Oprah Magazine, and more.