Lisa Vanderpump, the star of Vanderpump Rules, has admitted that her experiences of menopause were 'brutal' and left her feeling like a teenager every day. Almost all women will go through menopause, which is the point in time 12 months after a woman's last period, and during the years before and after this transition women may have changes in their monthly cycles, hot flashes, and other symptoms.
Each woman's experience is different, but for Lisa, now 63, she told HELLO! that menopause for her was something she had to ride out by herself with no help.
© Variety"Menopause was brutal and I rode through that with no help at all," she said at the premiere of Vanderpump Rules season 11 in Hollywood on January, 17. "I think women aren't really prepared for menopause because it's just something you hear about – but it's like going back to being a 14-year-old every day. It's not even three or four days a month, it's just all the time and that was hard."
Speaking of the support she received from her husband Ken, Lisa acknowledged that she was lucky to have someone to talk to when it was "overwhelming," but added: "I think partners need to be more understanding, and men need to have an education as much as women an be able to recognize 'this isn't normal' for the person you married."
Lisa has been on American reality TV for over 15 years, appearing on the Real Housewives franchise for several years before launching her own show on Bravo that followed her West Hollywood restaurant Pump and the staff that worked there.
"The worst thing [about aging] is when you see yourself in flashback and you're like, 'Oh, my God, I've been on reality TV for a whole lifetime!' and that's not always the easiest thing to see, but I just get on with it," she said of aging in the entertainment industry, before quipping that the five things that help her are "positivity, exercise, good diet, good attitude – and Botox".
© Tibrina HobsonOn World Menopause Day on October 8, Candace Bushnell joined HELLO! and No.7, the iconic British skincare brand, for a panel that discussed the misconceptions and taboos surrounding menopause and perimenopause.
Asked about the benefits of life after menopause, she reflected: "Becoming a fuller person, feeling courageous. There are a lot of things that hold us back when we're younger," specifically citing the idea of the "male gaze" and adding that women were encouraged to try new ideas and ventures they hadn't thought of before, now blessed with the freedom of time.
"You're not tied to behave in a feminine way, you're free to become a fuller and more rounded person," she added.
Vanderpump Rules season 11 will air on January 30 on Bravo in the US and stream from January 31 on Hayu in the UK and Canada
