Advice on dealing with hot flushes

11:34am Friday 1st February 2008

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WITH years of advice from the fashion pages, women in their 50s usually know how to look stylish and to enhance their figure and features with flattering clothes and make-up tips.

However, for many women, it's not trends from the catwalk but rather hot flushes that dictate their sense of style.

In a new survey to help women live with the menopause, nearly a third, 29 per cent, of women questioned would not wear make-up just in case they experienced a hot flush, which also prevented almost half, 43 per cent, from wearing certain clothes and made nearly a third, 29 per cent feel self-conscious.

Even shopping for clothes can be interrupted by hot flushes with 42 per cent of women having to walk out of a shop when overcome with a hot flush and 37 per cent fanning themselves furiously with whatever they have to hand - not a good look.

Hot flushes can also seriously affect a woman's self-confidence as well as their work life and relationships. Nearly half of the women questioned revealed they destroyed their self-confidence, and almost a third said they affected their work life and relationships.

Relationship psychologist Susan Quilliam said: "With so many women having their self-confidence shattered by hot flushes, it is not surprising that their work and personal relationships are affected.

"It is vital that they can manage their hot flushes so they can rediscover their femininity and self-confidence to help them look and feel great about themselves and those close to them."