What Your Eyes Say About Menopause
Our columnist, Lisa Franklin, is a multi award-winning skincare expert, product developer and nutritionist. She is the founder of The Lisa Franklin Clinic Privé, a luxury city skin haven, housed in a 100-year-old renovated building (originally The Working Ladies’ Guild), a stone’s throw from Harrods. Clinic Privé embraces the latest high-performance treatments to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of its treatments, that combine hands-on techniques with the latest state-of- the-art equipment and advanced technologies to care for and treat the skin. This month Lisa explores how menopause is far more than hot flushes and mood swings. From dry eyes to disrupted sleep, she reveals how hormonal changes affect the whole body — and why it’s time we stop treating these symptoms in isolation.
Navigating Menopause
As more women speak openly about midlife, the conversation around menopause is finally gaining the attention it deserves. Once reduced to a quiet footnote in a woman’s life, menopause and the long stretch leading up to it are now being recognised as crucial stages that bring real, measurable changes to the body and mind. Hormones shift, and with them come a cascade of effects that reach beyond mood and metabolism to influence areas such as the skin and even the eyes.
What Is Perimenopause?
Perimenopause is the transitional phase before menopause, often beginning in a woman's forties, though it can start earlier. During this time, levels of oestrogen and progesterone fluctuate, gradually affecting the body in ways that are sometimes subtle and sometimes disruptive. The phase can last a few months or stretch over a decade. Symptoms include irregular periods, brain fog, fatigue, anxiety, night sweats and changes in libido.
One lesser-known symptom is dry eye. Though it receives little attention, it is common and can be particularly uncomfortable. Many women experiencing hormonal changes find themselves affected without realising the connection.
How Hormones Affect the Eyes
The meibomian glands, which help produce the tear film's oily layer, are sensitive to hormones. When oestrogen and androgen levels fall, these glands may become less effective. As a result, the tear film becomes unstable, leading to dryness, irritation and discomfort.
Some women experience excessive tearing, not as a sign of proper hydration but as a response to dryness. Others report blurred vision, stinging, redness or a persistent sensation that something is stuck in the eye. Though dry eye might seem minor compared to hot flushes or mood swings, it can interfere significantly with daily comfort, especially for contact lens wearers or those who spend hours at screens.
Seeing Menopause as a Whole-Body Shift
The effects of menopause are rarely confined to one part of the body. Just as skin can become drier and more sensitive, the eyes also reflect internal changes. Looking at these shifts together, rather than treating symptoms in isolation, allows for more effective care.
Women should feel comfortable mentioning symptoms that are often overlooked. Dry eye is a valid medical issue that deserves attention. Greater awareness leads to earlier support and breaks down the silence that has long surrounded hormonal health.
Supporting Your Health Through Menopause
Care for menopause is now more personalised and comprehensive. Women can choose from a range of options, including hormone replacement therapy, nutritional changes and regenerative treatments. These approaches aim not only to reduce symptoms but also to support long-term wellbeing.
For dry eye, treatments may involve lubricating drops, procedures to improve gland function, omega-3 supplements or in-clinic therapies that restore balance to the tear film. It also helps to support hydration and skin barrier health, both internally and externally.
Having access to a clinic that combines medical and aesthetic expertise can be transformative. It's not just about managing discomfort. It is about helping women feel supported, informed and empowered throughout the process.
A Final Thought
Perimenopause and menopause are not endpoints. They are an opportunity to reset, reconnect with your body and take control of your health. When symptoms like dry eye are recognised and openly discussed, it becomes easier to create a more compassionate and informed experience of midlife for all women.
