The menopause market has exploded in recent years, with social media feeds and online platforms exposing viewers to endless miracle cures, anti-ageing remedies, symptom-eradicating supplements, and even aesthetic procedures, products and devices that purport to turn back time.
Unfortunately, as with any high-growth sector, the demand for alternatives to conventional HRT prescriptions and access to information and marketing materials has had negative as well as positive outcomes.
Alongside legitimate, clinically verified, and holistic approaches to better overall health and well-being in perimenopause and menopause, there are an equal number of rogue traders, fake products, and brands that aren't quite what they portray.
Meyer Clinic, an award-winning specialist private health and wellness centre, has helped to shed light on the issue and improve awareness of the contrasts between authentic and unreputable menopause treatments, and how to make informed, safe choices about your own health as you navigate menopause and beyond.
Why Is Misselling Such a Prevalent Issue Within the Menopause Market?
As a clinic founded by Dr Annelize, a menopause specialist with multiple accreditations, we frequently speak with new clients who have spent thousands on costly products that have had no effect or have been convinced to try the latest miracle cure—only to be left disappointed.
Much of the issue relates to the value of the menopause market, as women are today more proactive about taking control over their well-being.
Many refuse to settle for disruptive, uncomfortable symptoms and are prepared to invest in their long-term health, beauty, and mental well-being, which can mean unethical businesses attempt to exploit this.
The latest data shows that the market, currently worth over £13 billion internationally, is forecast to hit more than £471 billion in the next five years. This demonstrates why the sector is being flooded with products, therapies, treatments, and supplements, many of which have never been subject to proper evaluation, and review.
This doesn’t mean that there aren’t just as many incredible brands and wellness therapies that have transformative impacts, but that women need to be cautious about buying products online without speaking to a seasoned, qualified professional.
What Makes Some Menopause Treatments or Products Better Than Others?
It’s worth pointing out that some therapies, which could be very effective at managing menopause symptoms and improving energy, sleep patterns, and mood in some people, aren't suited to others.
Like almost every health and wellness consideration, the right solutions should always be based on a personalised, in-person consultation, encompassing everything from your sense of well-being to your body composition, your goals and aspirations, physical health and the severity of the symptoms you are experiencing.
Menopause isn't a medical condition but a period of life when hormonal changes can differ dramatically between women, just as one person might begin to experience perimenopause from as early as their 30s, and another might have no symptoms whatsoever until their 50s.
That infers that, rather than being a disorder or diagnosis with a one-size-fits-all solution or cure-all, menopause is a life phase that requires a more considered, balanced and tailored approach, which for some, might not involve any supplementation whatsoever.
Whilst we’ve been pleased to see enforcement action taken by regulators like the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), clamping down on misleading and false medical claims, it remains just as vital to improve education about menopause and perimenopause and ensure women have access to the right expertise, without being left to make decisions without sufficient support.
Therein lies another contributing factor that has prompted the wave of misselling investigations and prosecutions.
In multiple regions of the UK, women either have limited or no access to GP support, have difficulties securing a prescription for conventional HRT, and cannot speak with a menopause specialist in confidence to discuss their concerns, work through the options, and make informed, confident decisions about the best strategies to support optimal health.
How to Differentiate Between High-Quality Menopause-Focused Therapies and False Advertising Claims
The most common frustration we hear is that women are bombarded with information and advertising and are overwhelmed, with no reliable way to discern which sources are relevant, reliable, and useful and which aren't worth investing time in.
Our advice is to speak with one of the female health, hormonal balancing, and menopause consultants at Meyer Clinic if possible. We can suggest brands and companies that stand out and develop sector-leading, innovative products and therapies with proven impacts.
We can also recommend the best treatments, aesthetic therapies, or wellness tests that will answer your pressing questions, rather than making any assumption that a strategy that has worked well for others will also be perfect for you.
This is a fundamental reason we focus on a 360-degree approach to whole-person care, blending nutritional expertise, clinical intolerance and hormonal tests, body composition analytics, and professional aesthetic treatments to ensure you are looking, feeling and performing at your best.
Buying any product off the shelf is inadvisable if you have any concerns or doubts whatsoever about whether it has been subject to rigorous clinical safety testing. You should also ensure you are managing prescribed HRT correctly, given that dosing can require careful adjustments to find the ideal way to support your unique hormonal structure.
The Importance of Professional Menopause Support and Information
As a basic guideline, we’d advise any client to avoid taking marketing claims at face value, where a product labelled as ‘natural’, for instance, may not necessarily be the safest, and one that offers a ‘miracle cure’ is fairly unlikely to deliver on those claims.
However, it’s also important to avoid labelling every menopause product, therapy, or treatment under one umbrella and to recognise that over recent years, some remarkable discoveries and breakthroughs have been made that can make an enormous difference to women at all stages of menopause.
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About Meyer Clinic
Meyer Clinic is a private health, wellbeing and aesthetics clinic in Chichester, helping our patients lead empowered lives by ensuring we take a 360-degree full-body approach to health & wellness.
Published by: Steve OBrien