Nearly a third of women feel flustered or embarrassed when experiencing a hot flush in public, new data has revealed.
Research by luxury wellness brand OTO found that women feel especially embarrassed when hot flushes happen in an important meeting, social setting or at work.
It’s not just the flushes - 29 per cent of women said the menopause caused them to lose confidence, 27 per cent lost their ability to concentrate and a quarter worry they will never feel themselves again.
This Menopause Awareness Month, OTO has partnered with fashion designer Bella Freud to tackle the stigma around menopause symptoms, turn them into style statements and empower women.
OTO’s research suggested hot flushes are one of the worst symptoms of the menopause, so the partnership has created a collection features striking handheld fans inscribed with ‘HOT’, ‘FLASH’ and ‘MOOD’.
Bella Freud said: “I have enjoyed designing these fans to empower the essential femininity of those who use them, enhancing and supporting the beautiful products from OTO.â¯HOT, FLASH, and MOOD, were chosen to act as signals in a playful way, but also as indicators: ways to self soothe at moments of stress or intensity.”
Menopause has long been a taboo topic, with 58% of women surveyed said they would not feel comfortable talking about it with a loved one or friend, and one in three said that greater understanding would make them feel more loved and appreciated.
On the flip side, 47 per cent of people believe approaching the subject with a woman may make them uncomfortable.
Increasing awareness has led to more women speaking freely. Speaking to OK! Magazine about the menopause, TV presenter Lisa Snowdon, 50, said: “I felt completely alone and lost. I was feeling awful and angry and sleep deprived, with skin, hair and body changes. I ended up putting on quite a bit of weight.”
Other female celebrities have opened up about the menopause and called for increased awareness, such as Davina McCall with her Channel 4 show Sex, myths and the Menopause.
OTO products have built a star studded following of female fans, including Lisa Snowdon, Liz Earle, Meg Matthews, and Cherry Healey. Its CBD products can help alleviate some of the physiological menopause symptoms, such as sleeplessness, anxiousness, brain fog, and low mood.â¯
The limited edition fans are available now atâ¯http://otocbd.com/oto-x-bella-freudâ¯.
