Reduce symptoms of menopause with silk by Dr. Harper

Menopause and Perimenopause can be very difficult for women experiencing its symptoms.

The many stages of menopause, including perimenopause, can bring about uncomfortable side effects that affect one's quality of life. Many women may feel sad, anxious and even experience physical pain while going through this stage in life.

The founder of London’s Harper Clinic, Dr. Shahzadi Harper, shares with Mayfairsilk why she believes that silk is great for those suffering from menopausal symptoms of perimenopausal symptoms.

Dr. Harper, who is also known as 'the menopause doctor', has had an extensive career in medicine for over 25 years.

Based in her clinic in London’s Harley Street, she has treated hundreds of women for their menopause symptoms and helped bring balance back into their lives.

According to Dr Harper, the concerns she most frequently comes across are:

1) Difficulty in sleeping and mood swings

A common symptom during menopause is hot flashes, night sweats and difficulty in sleeping. This is caused by changes in hormone levels affecting the body's natural temperature control system.

Hot flashes and night sweats can happen without warning throughout the day and night, but can also be triggered by excessive consumption of spicy foods, caffeine and alcohol.

Menopause symptoms that make it difficult to sleep at night result in one feel more tired and irritable during the day.

100% pure silk is naturally thermoregulating. This means that it helps keep you at a comfortable temperature throughout the night. Cosy in winter and cool in summer. While your body sleeps, silk helps evens out the temperature fluctuations. This is why silk sheets are recommended to anyone suffering with hot flashes and night sweats.

2) A dull complexion

For never a dull moment in your thirties, skin in your forties can often be the opposite.

Our skin follows a 24-hour cycle. During the day, the skin protects itself against external aggressions, whereas at night, it devotes itself to repair.

It is commonly known that cotton absorbs more than 27 times its weight in water. Being super absorbent, it extracts the moisture from your skin too – all whilst your skin tries to repair itself. The result is dehydrated skin and a dull complexion.

"On the other hand, "Silk has a similar pH to your skin and absorbs very little moisture which aids your skin's moisture retention. Sleeping on silk pillowcases and sheets not only helps with hydration but also being hypoallergenic and dust-mite resistant it's a healthy option for your skin, discouraging bacterial growth and the spread of acne." 

3) Hair thinning, breakage and fall

Another sign of aging that concerns many is the thinning of hair, its breakage and fall.

For many women, hair loss during menopause is the result of lowered production of oestrogen and progesterone. These hormones help hair grow faster and stay on the head for longer. When the levels of oestrogen and progesterone drop, hair grows more slowly and becomes much thinner and can sometimes even cause bald spots.

"It becomes increasingly important to take care of our hair and one way of doing so is by sleeping on a silk pillowcase. Sleeping on silk does not dehydrate your hair so it helps retain lustre, softness and shine. The other recommendation is to use silk scrunchies or silk hair ties, when tying up your hair. This helps protect your hair from damage by reducing friction and breakage."

4) Weight Gain

Dr. Harper says that menopausal and perimenopausal women in their 40's undergo a change in their hormones which affects the body’s metabolism.

It is important to make lifestyle and diet changes that can assist in preserving your fitness levels and combat obesity which is on the increase in many countries as a result of menopause symptoms.

She shares a preventive approach towards medicine and believes that health is a personal responsibility and people need to own up to it more. Often the changes have to happen psychologically, so mental health and wellbeing is a top priority before changes occur physically.

Although sleeping on silk has no direct connection with one’s weight, a lack of sleep does have an impact on your weight loss goals. The tactile benefits of sleeping on silk help engage the parasympathetic nervous system through touch with your skin.

Here are a few tips for sleeping better:

• Keep a regular sleep schedule
• Sleep in a dark room
• Don’t eat right before bed
• Reduce Stress

Conclusion

The symptoms of menopause don't just last for a year or two. They last for 4.5 years on average, so it's important to understand the implications on your health and wellbeing and what steps to take next if these issues are persisting.

Dr Shahzadi recommends that women sleep in Mayfairsilk during menopause because it provides natural relief from night sweats and can help alleviate hot flashes, hair thinning and improves skin complexion. By helping control temperature and hot flashes it improves the quality of your sleep.

Hot favourites:

“For me, I love the design of the Mayfairsilk botanical hummingbird pillowcase, the black and gold slim hair-ties and pastel colours of bed sheets and duvet set that bring a sense of calm before bedtime.”

Her mantra in life is to "believe in one’s self and constantly strive towards achieving your goals".

If you’d like to know more about Dr. Shahzadi Harper, do visit her website: theharperclinic.com

Have you tried sleeping on silk? What was your experience like? Let us know!