Salma Hayek gets candid on the menopause—'the boobs grow a lot'

Salma Hayek has become a trailblazer for honest discussion around menopause with a frank account of her experience and its surprising side effects—from unwanted body hair to changing breast size and everything in between. 

During her appearance on Red Table Talk with Jada Pinkett Smith, Salma revealed she has been dealing with menopause symptoms since her mid-40s. During the candid interview the actress, 54, didn't shy away from potentially uncomfortable topics that extend far beyond hot flushes and other symptoms typically associated with menopause and perimenopause. 

"They [the doctors] were asking me things like, 'Are your ears growing, and is there hair growing out of them? Are you growing a mustache and a beard? Are you easily irritable? Are you crying for no reason? 

"Are you gaining a lot of weight really fast that doesn't go away no matter what you do? Are you shrinking?' And then they ask you, 'Is your vagina dry?'" Salma recounts, with no detail spared. 

Salma, who is currently starring in The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, then discussed some of the physical changes she noticed when she became menopausal. 

"The boobs grow a lot," she joked. "They have just kept growing. Many, many sizes. And my back has been really suffering from it." She then laughed and said she wasn’t surprised people thought she’d had a breast enlargement.

It's refreshing to see Salma discussing menopause in a positive way, urging women that life can still offer up plenty of opportunities for postmenopausal women. 

“There's no expiration date for women. That has to go," she said. "Because you can kick ass at any age. You can hold your own at any age, you can dream at any age, you can be romantic at any age. We have the right to be loved for who we are at the place that we are."

It's great to see Salma opening a discussion around menopause, a topic that is still widely underreported with mainstream media, despite it affecting over half the population.

If you’re currently experiencing menopause symptoms, let our guides to the best menopause forums and menopausal supplements help you deal with any discomfort or difficulties. And, perhaps a little humor a la Salma can help us get through the insufferable moments.