'Why is talking about the signs of menopause still TMI?'

Beauty giant Avon is calling a time out on menopause

This natural subject is often seen as TMI and taboo, when the fact is every single woman in the world will go through menopause.

Avon is rewording this to TLI (Too Little Information) and want to start a new open conversation to normalise talking about this natural bodily change and give women access to the knowledge needed. We all know the basic symptoms and signs of menopause; periods stop, hot flushes begin, but there is so much more to it than that.

Dr Sarah Jarvis, UK GP with a special interest in women’s health says, ‘The hormonal shifts can have a major impact on mood and how we feel about ourselves. They can disrupt sleep and concentration and affect your weight, skin, hair and energy levels. This can be confusing and worrying for women, so knowing what’s happening is the first step in managing those symptoms and navigating this natural process with lessened impact.’

The brand has released new statistics as part of a menopause study, after speaking to hundreds of women across the globe.

These were their key findings...

• 51% of UK women were unaware of perimenopause until they started to have symptoms.
• Despite menopause often following maternal patterns, only 15% of UK women would discuss the matter with their mother
• 41% of UK women rely on unsubstantiated online resources above GPs, gynaecologists, and friends
• 47% of UK women did not feel prepared for either perimenopause or the menopause when it started
• 42% did not expect perimenopause when it began to occur – which might explain why 30% felt anxious during it

The facts don’t lie and in our culture of social sharing, where we post about our breakfasts, holiday snaps and latest beauty buys, there should be no shame in speaking up about the experience of menopause… it’s time to over share.

Gina Ghura, Head of Future Innovation at Avon says ‘We undertook this global menopause study to better understand women’s experiences at this time in their lives. By looking at the physical changes shared by so many, we knew we could support women through our product innovation and develop something that would be both functional and enjoyable to use. The beauty of Avon is that through our global community of five million Reps, we can also support women’s emotional experiences by opening up conversations.’

With Avon’s research showing that 69% of women had issues with dry or sensitive skin during menopause, the brand has developed a new range of skincare products that work to support the hormonal effects on skin during menopause.

'We’ve spent years in laboratories researching the impact of hormones on our skin, and when looking specifically at the impact of menopause and perimenopause, we released it was a massively under discussed topic,' says Ghura. 'Women didn’t realise why their skin was changing or how to manage those fluctuations.’

Avon's answer is to launch this new line later this year... So be sure to watch this space!