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2025 has seen Max pivot back to HBO Max and Gen Z rebrand extended leave as “micro-retirements.” Now, the hormonal rollercoaster known as menopause is getting a flashy revamp, too.
Move over, vajayjay — “cougar puberty” is clawing its way into the suburban dictionary. Just don’t try to say it 10 times fast.
The hiss-terical new expression wasn’t concocted in a boardroom by a group of suits looking to hawk leopard-styled hand fans. It was hatched by two friends staring down the precipice of midlife chrysalis — Kristina Kuzmic and Amy Pickard.
“My friend and I were talking about [how] the stuff I’m going through, it reminds me of being a teenager or even watching my teenagers be teenagers,” Kuzmic, 46, told The Post.
“The moodiness and my body’s changing, and I’m getting hair in places that I didn’t expect,” she continued. “All these funny things are happening again, but now we’re cougars, and so that’s how we sort of came up with ‘cougar puberty.’ “
A coug is typically an over-40 vixen who purr-sues significantly younger men. Kuzmic, a married Southern California mom of three, clarified that cougar puberty “has nothing to do with the men part.”
It has everything to do with women since all women go through menopause, or rather, menopawse.
The dreadful process begins with perimenopause, a gradual preview of the end of a woman’s reproductive years.
This phase, which can last an excruciating decade, is often characterized by irregular menstruation, hot flashes and mood changes because the body is producing less estrogen and progesterone.
When your period has ghosted you for a full year, you have officially entered menopause. It usually hits in the US around 51.
“Cougar puberty” represents both periods — perimenopause and menopause.
“It’s kind of like teen years,” Kuzmic explained. “It covers the small changes at first and then just being in it and not knowing who the hell you are.”
For Kuzmic, a comedian and author, cougerty has manifested as night sweats, hair loss, weight gain, brain fog, moodiness and an unfortunate crop of chin hairs.
“I am just starting this lovely road,” Kuzmic said. “I just started hormones recently, and I don’t even know that I’ve experienced the worst of it yet myself. My friend is 10 years older than me, so she’s way ahead in it.”
The midlife mavens filmed a video a few years ago soft-launching the fiery phrase, and it has taken off on TikTok in recent months.
It’s such a roaring success that Kuzmic sells colorful Ts announcing to the world to watch out — “cougar puberty” is afoot.
“If we have to go through this hell, let’s at least learn to laugh about it,” she said. “Let’s give it a funny name.”
Kuzmic advises women facing “The Change” to find themselves a health care provider who validates their concerns and takes their symptoms seriously, as well as a good support system.
Her husband listens to podcasts and reads books on menopause because “the most important person in his life is going through it.”
That helps give her confidence to join the hot flash dance party — a stark contrast to her adolescence, when she struggled with acne, mood swings, insecurity and body image issues.
“Which is interesting because my body’s changing now,” Kuzmic said, “but I think I have a better sense of humor about it.”
How to make ‘cougar puberty’ less cat-astrophic
Dr. Megan Lochner, who specializes in obstetrics and gynecology at Stony Brook Medicine, offers some suggestions for feline better during perimenopause and menopause.
- Know that this phase is temporary — and you’re not alone. Seek emotional support from friends, colleagues and health care providers
- Dress in layers year-round to better manage fluctuating body temperatures
- Place a fan on your desk and by your bed, and keep a portable one in your bag to help survive hot flashes
- Avoid common triggers like spicy foods and alcohol to minimize hot flashes
- Establish a good sleep routine — consider trying a warm Epsom salt bath with lavender, a cup of chamomile or hibiscus tea, magnesium glycinate, melatonin, meditation, yoga, deep-breathing exercises, eye masks, earplugs or a white noise machine. Limit screen time and alcohol before bed.
- Experiment with acupuncture, which can help with stress, hot flashes and sleep disturbances
- Talk with your doctor about supplements. Chasteberry, black cohosh and natural supplements that are soy-based or plant-based may ease hot flashes and low libido. Vitamin D3 with K2 can boost bone health along with calcium-rich foods. Coenzyme Q10 and omega-3 fatty acids are taken to help stave off heart disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, while prebiotics and probiotics can support gut and vaginal health.
- Relieve vaginal dryness and prevent painful intercourse with hyaluronic acid suppositories or cream, coconut oil, olive oil and water-based lubricants
- Reduce stress and enhance sleep to lower cortisol and combat the weight gain that is almost universal at this stage
“Finally, seek out a gynecologist dedicated to treating women in perimenopause and menopause,” Lochner said.
“There are many new treatments to help women improve their quality of life during this difficult time,” she added. “Stick with FDA-approved treatments prescribed by someone you know and trust.”
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