Hot flashes can begin during your 40s and can last well beyond menopause. Some women still experience them in their 60s and 70s.
As estrogen begins to decline, the walls of the vagina become thinner and less lubricated.
During perimenopause, women notice their monthly cycle can vary in length. The volume of blood might become less or they can bleed much heavier than ever before.
Estrogen is responsible for keeping lean muscle on and fat mass down in women. As we go into our hormonal decline, it becomes harder to stay lean and easier to put on abdominal fat.
Aging hair becomes weaker and prone to break, split or fall out for both women and men. Melanin is what keeps the natural color of our hair. This begins to decrease as we age which leads to greying.
Estrogen has a direct affect on the production of seratonin, our "happy hormone". When estrogen begins it's decline, less seratonin is produced leading us to feel more depressed, lonely or anxious as we age.