Menopause, less sugar, and skin that finally stopped tearing

Kim traced her worst flares to dry skin stretching and splitting. Cutting sugar and processed grains, more protein, and shea oil made the biggest difference.

Kim ·

Living with it
More than 5 years
Main trigger
Dry skin stretching and breaking open
What helped
Cutting sugar and processed grains, keeping skin hydrated, gentle wash plus shea oil

I've noticed a real difference lately. Mine has decreased a lot.

I'm in menopause, so I'm more conscious about how much protein I eat and about avoiding sugar. I cut out most sugar and processed grains. I only use local honey now to sweeten, I no longer drink wine, and I don't eat over-processed grains — only whole grain, Ezekiel-type breads.

The other half of it is hydration. Keeping my skin hydrated has been key. My skin always flared when the dry surface "broke open" when it got stretched — that prickly itching that turns into hives. So I started using a gentle flare-up shower wash and following it with shea oil.

Between the two, I went from many flare-ups a day to an occasional one out of the blue. That's a life I can live with.

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