Equilibrium Menopause

10/02/2026

I would love to announce a new relationship with CommonGood Medical!

CommonGood Medical has been a pillar of our community for more than a decade. They provide quality, compassionate healthcare to our underserved neighbors here in Collin County. Located in McKinney, Tx, they were generous enough to let me come talk about perimenopause and tour their new facilities last week.

I'm proud to say that I will be working with them once a month, starting in November!

I am honored to join such a vibrant team of generous people. I challenge everyone to find a way to support their good works. Whether its a monetary donation, volunteering your time, or donations to their thrift store, please give their volunteer opportunities a look.

Providing compassionate healthcare and community support for uninsured residents in Collin County, Texas. Join us to volunteer, donate, or become a patient today.

09/30/2026

Skin Care and UV A - The Aggressive Ager

I didn’t even hear about UV A until I was learning about menopausal health!

So let’s start from the beginning: There are 3 main types of UV - A, B, and C.
UV C has too short of a wavelength to get through the atmosphere. Thank you Ozone Layer!
UV B has a medium wavelength, so 5% of it reaches the earth. When we refer to UV, generally its UV B to which we’re referring. It causes sunburns and directly damages DNA. UV B is the major driver of skin cancer risk and what’s measured in the UV Index. Sunscreen is graded by how much UVB it blocks. Wear your sunscreen! UV B is ALWAYS more carcinogenic than any sunscreen!
UV A is the great ager. It has longer wavelengths that pe*****te deeper into the skin. UV A stimulates melanin production, causing a tan. Cumulative exposure over time leads to DNA and collagen damage, effectively speeding the aging process of our skin. This can also raise our skin cancer risk.

What to do?!?!?!

Wear sunscreen with UV A and B protection! The SPF rating on our sunscreen already tells us how well it blocks UV B. Yay!

UV A blockers are:
Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide paired together.
Avobenzone with Octocrylene.
Bemotrizinol (BEMT) recently FDA approved

My favorites:
Elta MD UV AOX Elements - I found this at my Dermatologist and on Amazon
Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen Sensitive and Sheer Face - Target and online

I’ve been told I need to say this: Yes, I am a doctor, so yes, these are physician recommended! (This is just my opinion. I do not receive compensation for this.)

Come find your new balance at Equilibrium Menopause.
Dani Steininger, MD, FACOG, MSCP

09/29/2026

Meet Dr. Dani from Equilibrium Menopause as she teaches participants about the ups and downs of perimenopause!

Attendees will learn what perimenopause is, when it typically begins, and the common signs to look out for.

Join this warm and empowering conversation at:
• Thursday, Oct. 1, at 10:30 a.m.
• Meeting Rooms A & B
• Ages 18+ only

Interested in other programs at the Library? Visit https://events.allentx.gov/allentx?filter=Allen+Public+Library%2CAdults+%2818%2B%29 to see what's coming up!

09/29/2026

Come out to the Allen Library and get your questions answered!

Perimenopause Unpacked: What you need to know and why it matters
October 1st, 10:30am
Dani Steininger, MD, FACOG, MSCP

https://cityofallen.libcal.com/event/17176271

09/28/2026

Let’s talk more about Skin Health!

Retinol!!!

Retinol is the more stable precursor to the biologically active retinoic acid. Our skin contains enzymes that can convert retinol into retinoic acid which then increases new skin cell production and new collagen growth. In short, retinol is a form of Vitamin A that helps keep our skin renewed and more elastic. This is the serum I try to remember before bed a few nights a week.

Some tips: The ideal solution of retinol is 2-3%. Also, retinol can make our skin very sensitive. Most of us should avoid the sun after putting retinol on. Some may have skin that is too sensitive for retinol use at all, so start with lower doses if you think this might be you.

Some versions I like:
Mary Kay Clinical Solutions Retinol 0.3 (www.marykay.com/terri.martinez/ Link to a friend’s store. I make no commission but my friend will.)
IOPE Expert Retinol 2% (I found this at Sephora)

Later this week, I’ll dive into Sunscreen! Happy Monday!

09/25/2026

Phew! It’s been a long week, so I’ll post an easy one today.

Let’s talk Skin Health!

Estrogen helps keep the collagen and fibrin in our skin thick and elastic. When our estrogen levels drop, our skin loses approximately 30% of its collagen in the first 5 years after menopause. Our skin gets thinner, less resilient, and sags.

While I’m proud of my wrinkles (I earned these things!) I don’t love my drooping jaw line or sun spots. I am also not someone who can keep up with a ‘skin regimen’. I’m happy if I can remember to slap a cream on my face once a day. So I’ll keep it simple and evidence based.

Vitamin C!!!

Many Dermatology friends have recommended Vitamin C to me when I push them to only pick two things for mid-life skin (I’ll talk about the other next week). Vitamin C or Ascorbic Acid helps repair DNA after sun damage. It keeps the collagen we have from breaking down. I try to put Vitamin C on every morning (Hah!) or at least on my lunch break.

Some tips: Not every solution with Vitamin C is effective or safe. Solutions with 10-20% Vitamin C are optimal. Lower than 10% isn’t effective and higher than 20% is too acidic. Also, avoid solutions that contain benzene derivatives such as: benzoic acid, sodium benzoate, potassium benzoate, calcium benzoate and benzaldehyde. These chemicals in an acidic solution will transform into benzene with time and UV exposure. Benzene is EXTREMELY carcinogenic, thereby defeating much of the point of using Vitamin C on the skin.

Some versions I like:
Mary Kay Clinical Solutions Vit C Reducer (www.marykay.com/terri.martinez/ Link to a friend’s store. I make no commission but my friend will.)
La Roche Posay C12 (I find it at Target)

Next week, I’ll cover Retinol and Sunscreens. Happy Friday!

09/18/2026

Happy Friday! This brought me a moment of laughter!

09/17/2026

I had two different people tell me that ‘all the good [healthcare] providers are going that way’. They were both referring to healthcare providers not taking insurance and switching to a direct pay model. Granted, they were both trying to compliment and thank me after spending a full hour completely focused on their health. It just struck me because they both used the same phrasing. This kind of talk used to strike me as sad. I now realize it was because I thought I was being left behind in a broken system.

This time, I was so proud of myself.

I love my job again. I can spend the time I need to spend on complicated problems. I am able to ask probing questions and wait for the answer. I can fully explain WHY I don’t need to write a prescription for X diagnosis. I teach how certain exercises help with Y. I sensitively broach the subject of how Z is actually totally normal, just no one talks about it. And here’s a good article to back it up!
When was the last time you (as a healthcare professional or patient) had the luxury of being seen as a fully fleshed complex human being in a medical setting?

Let’s bring human connection back to the center of healthcare.

Your doctor has 10 minutes for you 6 months from now. I have an hour for you tomorrow.

09/15/2026

Come see me at the Allen Library!
Bring your questions! Let's have a conversation.

Dr. Dani from Equilibrium Menopause will take you on a clear, relatable journey through the ups and downs of perimenopause—what it is, when it often begins, and the common signs...

09/14/2026

Why I exited mainstream healthcare economics.

Health insurance dictates so much of the practice of medicine in modern society. What medicine can I take? What pharmacy can I use? Is that specialist in my network? Where and when is my surgery? The care we are allowed to receive is often dictated by a faceless third-party who we’ve never met and may not even be human. At its core, because insurance companies are the main payer, they drive the ‘power of the purse’.

Insurers are at the center of our current healthcare economy.

Health insurance separates people and providers. Because of insurance, I used to spend as much time recording, analyzing, and arguing about the care I was providing as I did actually delivering it.

More intelligent individuals than me are trying to fix this problem. I can’t solve the convoluted economic drivers of healthcare. I can’t control insurance companies. I can exit the system.

Equilibrium Menopause is a direct-pay practice.

Why don’t I take insurance? Because I want YOU to be at the center of your own care.

Come find your new balance at Equilibrium Menopause.