No matter where a woman is in her menopause journey, chances are, she will experience some changes to her skin and hair. Yet, despite the fact that hair and skin changes during menopause — including skin wrinkling, sagging and dryness, along with hair loss and thinning — are very common,1 very few menopausal skincare products or supplements for thinning hair during menopause are available for women who want to naturally support the health and appearance of their skin and hair, which may have been impacted by the estrogen decline..
Recognizing the lack of quality, science-backed skin and haircare products available specifically for menopausal women, Bonafide set out to create our own. The result, after an intensive research and development process that included our thorough ingredient selection, rigorous quality testing and clinical trial validation, we developed Silvessa – which is a system containing a supplement for thinning hair during menopause and two serums designed to support menopausal skin and hair.
Does Menopause Change Your Hair and Skin?
As women enter the menopausal transition, that begins during perimenopause, symptoms of low estrogen can occur, including a loss of skin elasticity and hair becoming less full.2 But a lack of estrogen isn’t the only cause of these changes, says Bonafide Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Alyssa Dweck.
“Both declining estrogen levels and the ratio of estrogen and testosterone effect both hair and skin, particularly when it comes to hair loss on the scalp and the development of acne3 — which occurs a fair amount in the menopausal population,” Dr. Dweck continues.
She adds that nutritional deficiencies and environmental factors, such as UV light exposure, may also play a role in what happens to hair and skin during menopause – genetics play a role as well.4 “Oftentimes you'll have a similar experience with your hair and skin that other women in your family may have had.”
Changes to skin and hair affect us in ways that extend beyond the physical, Dr. Dweck explains, emphasizing that hair loss can take a particularly heavy toll on women’s mental health and confidence.5
“It affects their self-esteem and psychological wellbeing more than a symptom that can be hidden from the outside world can, like vaginal dryness,” Dr. Dweck says, “so, it's a crucial thing to address.”
A Hair and Skin System Designed for Menopausal Women
Silvessa is a proprietary hair and skincare system specifically formulated to meet the unique needs of women at all stages of the menopausal transition, from those just entering perimenopause to those who are postmenopausal. Consisting of a skin serum for menopausal skin, a scalp serum and an oral tablet, Silvessa is designed to support skin and hair health from the inside out.*
Used together, Dr. Dweck explains, the three components in Silvessa “work synergistically through antioxidant and nutritional pathways to help address hair and skin changes related to menopause.”
“The oral capsule contains key nutrients like biotin and silicon that are important for healthy skin and hair, and those nutrients may be needed more by women as they age,”6 says Bonafide Chief Science Officer, Jim Komorowski.
While the capsules may take a few weeks or more to have a visible effect on your skin and hair, which may be affected by low estrogen levels during menopause, the two topical treatments can start to work immediately, Komorowski explains. “Women may notice effects in a matter of days, and it'll build up over time where they can see more benefits and results.”
Does Silvessa Contain Hormones?
Silvessa is hormone-free; meaning it doesn’t contain hormones, because hormone replacement therapy hasn’t been shown to definitively help skin and hair changes related to low estrogen during menopause, Dr. Dweck says.
“Hormones are not indicated as a primary treatment for hair and skin issues, although anecdotally some taking hormone replacement for other reasons do note benefits,” she explains.
Because Silvessa is hormone-free, women who have concerns about using hormones, as well as those taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or other hormonal medications, can use Silvessa.
How is Silvessa Different from Other Products?
While biotin and silicon have long been available as supplements for thinning hair and skin issues, Silvessa features specialized forms of these key hair and skin nutrients. “We have a unique form of biotin that's better absorbed and more active in the body, so women should be able to get more benefits out of the proprietary biotin that's in Silvessa,” Komorowski says.
The same is true for the silicon, he adds. “Silicon is known for its structural benefits to the skin and hair, but it’s very poorly absorbed in general,”7 Komorowski explains. “The form of silicon that we use in Silvessa was selected because it's very bioavailable, meaning it's absorbed much better.”
While we unfortunately can’t claim that Silvessa is the “best” supplement for menopausal hair and skin changes, we can say it’s demonstrated its efficacy in supporting hair and skin health impacted by hormonal changes across multiple clinical studies, with many women experiencing the benefits of thicker, healthier appearing hair and reduced fine lines and wrinkles.*
Another ingredient that sets Silvessa apart from other products, who often claim they’re the “best” supplement for menopause hair and skin changes, is an extremely powerful antioxidant that may help protect menopausal skin against UV damage. “The combination of these three key ingredients makes for a very potent capsule formulation,” Komorowski says. “You’re getting nutrients that can help promote healthier skin and hair, and also an antioxidant to help prevent future damage.”8
He notes that the hair serum in the Silvessa system contains some of those same key ingredients, and the skin serum, for menopausal skin, utilizes hyaluronic acid, which is a nutrient that draws and binds moisture to the skin. “You can see a reduction in wrinkles and your skin’s texture can improve when you use hyaluronic acid,”9 Mr. Komorowski says.
The Science Behind Silvessa
To measure the effects of the Silvessa system on skin and hair health during menopause, Bonafide invested in specific research, and conducted their own double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. They found that after consistent use over 2-3 months, Silvessa produced statistically significant results in hair and skin affected by low estrogen during menopause.
“Women taking the Silvessa capsules in our clinical study actually saw a reduction in wrinkles and improvement in the fullness and thickness of their hair,” Komorowski explains. “What's unique about that is, sometimes products on the market only do one of those things, but here we actually saw benefits in both areas — improvements in the appearance of healthier-looking skin and the increase in the appearance of fuller, thicker hair.”
More than 90% of study participants saw improvements in hair volume after three months of using Silvessa, Komorowski notes, and approximately 75% reported smoother and overall healthier skin.10 “A high percentage of women also noted benefits when they used the oral supplement and serum for menopausal skin and hair together.”
Is There Anyone Who Shouldn’t Use Silvessa?
Although the ingredients in all three of Silvessa’s components are generally considered safe for longtime use, people who have a sensitivity to any of the ingredients shouldn’t use the product system.
Silvessa appears to be similarly safe as far as drug interactions are concerned, although it’s always a good idea to check with your healthcare provider or pharmacist before starting a new supplement, just as a precaution.
Women with thyroid issues should consider talking to their primary care provider about temporarily stopping Silvessa before having their thyroid serum levels tested, since biotin may affect the results.11
Resources
- https://www.menopause.org/publications/clinical-care-recommendations/chapter-2-midlife-body-changes
- https://health.clevelandclinic.org/heres-how-menopause-affects-your-skin-and-hair/
- https://www.everydayhealth.com/menopause/help-for-hair-thinning-in-midlife/
- https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/004014.htm
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5986111/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6380979/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6242837/#Sec1title
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5928335/#:~:text=Antioxidants%20have%20the%20potential%20to,combat%20the%20effects%20of%20UVR.
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34203487/
- Sylla S, et al. Current Developments in Nutrition. 2021; 5:Supplement_2:37. 3 month open-label experience trial on the ingredients in Silvessa.
- https://www.thyroid.org/patient-thyroid-information/ct-for-patients/december-2018/vol-11-issue-12-p-3-4/
Comments
Post commentI subscribe to Ristela and Revaree. I think I’m going to add Silvessa to my package.