The menopause occurs when levels of the female hormones oestrogen and progesterone fall and your body stops producing eggs. Menstruation ceases permanently and you're no longer able to conceive. It can be a time of great physical and emotional change that can overwhelm you if you don't know what to expect.
There's no predicting when the menopause will occur. Generally, it's between the ages of 45 and 55, but for a few women it can start as early as 35 - or as late as 60. This doesn't mean you're in any way abnormal, although an unusually early menopause (before the age of 36, sometimes as young as 18) may have implications that need to be addressed. Usually, there'll be some sign that the menopause is approaching. Periods can gradually become further apart, they may be scantier and not last as long. Alternatively, some women experience heavier bleeding with shorter gaps between. Occasionally, menstruation just stops altogether with no warning.

Enjoy a healthy, balanced diet, with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables to provide essential vitamins, antioxidants and minerals.
Regular exercise will help to make your skin glow, give you beautiful poise, and help you keep in good shape. Cover up in the sun. The big danger is ultraviolet light A (UVA) rays, which cause the collagen in the skin to break down, making it thinner and helping wrinkles to form. Get enough sleep. Sleep is essential for body repairs and keeps body and soul ticking along as they should.
Find effective ways to deal with stress. Don't let it show in your face and posture.
Look after your teeth and have regular check-ups at the dentist.

Don't smoke. Smoking damages the microcirculation to the skin, making it dull, grey and lifeless. Your hair is affected in the same way. It also leads to the early formation of wrinkles, especially fine lines around the mouth. Many models smoke partly as an attempt to keep slim, but they are in fact wrecking their careers.
Keep alcohol intake to a moderate level, no more than 14 units a week. The most important thing is to avoid binges when you drink all your allowance in one go, which is particularly toxic to the liver.

Cellulite

Massage is supposed to break down the fibrous bands, but there's little hard evidence to support
this. If massage were to work, it would have to be extremely firm to have any effect.
Some new devices are trying to take the idea of massage one step further, for example by using a combination of lasers and massage to try to break down the cellulite.

The only treatment that might have a permanent effect is liposuction, which is a dramatic step to take. This works by sucking out the fat cells - removing the problem tissue altogether. Once gone, these cells aren't replaced, so the area should remain smooth, although your body may then have to store any added fat in other fat pockets, such as on your shoulders, which can end up distorting the shape of your body.

Cellulite

Hormonal factors
The formation of cellulite is closely linked to the effects of hormones in the body, especially the female sex hormones. When levels of hormones change dramatically - such as at puberty and during pregnancy - something causes cellulite to be laid down. Many women find the condition gets much worse after having children; yet another rarely mentioned burden of pregnancy!

Nothing as simple or as superficial as a cream could possibly break down the process of fibrosis or reverse it. No herbal lotion or strange unguent can remedy the problem.

Cellulite
Around 80 per cent of western women believe they have cellulite - the lumpy, bumpy texture usually found around the thighs, bottoms and knees. But does cellulite actually exist? And even if it does, is it something we ought to stop fighting and accept?
Cellulite is a permanent change in the fat that is stored under your skin. We all have some body fat - even skinny models - so we're all susceptible to cellulite as we get older. You can sometimes spot it on women who otherwise appear very youthful or slim.
In cellulite, the thin layer of tissue between the fat cells (often just a few cells thick) becomes more fibrous - like a scar. The fibrous areas start to pull together around the fat, causing the tiny dimples and irregularities typical of cellulite.