Menopause has officially made its way into the consultation room. According to the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery’s (AAFPRS) 2025 annual member survey, 45 percent of facial plastic surgeons say more female patients are citing menopause or perimenopause as a reason for seeking treatment. In 2024, that figure was 28 percent.
“Menopause can bring noticeable changes to the skin and face, and patients are increasingly making that connection when they come in for a consultation,” says Houston facial plastic surgeon Anthony Brissett, MD, president of the AAFPRS. “What we are seeing is a greater willingness to talk openly about those effects and to ask what is happening, what is normal, and what options may exist.”
Elsewhere in the survey, 66 percent of members reported a rise in eyelid procedures among patients looking to appear less tired, and half say patients are turning to cosmetic treatments to stay competitive at work.
Ahead, a closer look at the facial changes women are bringing up in consultations—and why menopause is only part of the picture.
What Women Are Seeing in the Mirror
Beverly Hills, CA, facial plastic surgeon Kimberly Lee, MD hears it from patients in their 40s and 50s. “They often share that they’ve aged suddenly with drier skin, more fine lines and wrinkles, decreased facial volume, and sagging in the jawline and neck,” she says. What they want, she adds, is to address those changes while still looking natural and like themselves.
Dr. Lee says that during the menopause transition, loss of elasticity and collagen, decreased hydration and thinning skin can make changes in skin texture more noticeable. At the same time, she says environmental exposure, genetics, facial animation and changes in fat volume also contribute to the changes women see.
Menopause Isn’t the Whole Story
“When I evaluate patient faces I don’t usually try to separate them into menopause vs aging,” Dr. Lee says. “Instead I look at the overall face to determine what the skin quality, volume loss, and structural changes may be to come up with a plan to address these changes.” That might mean focusing on skin quality and collagen, restoring lost volume, relaxing specific muscles that contribute to wrinkles or addressing skin laxity, depending on the patient and her underlying anatomy.
“It reinforces the importance of treating the changes a woman is experiencing instead of automatically treating every menopausal face the same,” she adds.
The AAFPRS recommends discussing any concerns with a board-certified facial plastic surgeon and talking with your doctor about your overall health during the transition. Ultimately, “menopause is only one factor contributing to facial aging,” Dr. Lee says, “and the goal is always restoring balance while maintaining natural appearing results.”
