Tracee Ellis Ross opened up about perimenopause as she looked forward to her 50th birthday

Tracee Ellis Ross opened up about perimenopause as she looked forward to her 50th birthday

Tracee Ellis Ross turns 50 on October 29, 2022 and can't wait.

“I’m really excited about it [turning 50],” the actress told Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager in a recent “Today with Hoda & Jenna” segment. "I've always loved getting older. Like, I really have."

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Although she's looking forward to her next birthday, Ellis Ross doesn't shy away from the fact that aging isn't always easy. “There are certain things that are really strange,” she said. "I'm perimenopausal and hot flashes are coming on like a personal summer just coming in from within."

ICYDK, perimenopause is a term used to describe the years before menopause, notes the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Symptoms may include changes in the length and flow of the menstrual cycle, hot flashes, and sleep problems due to fluctuating estrogen levels in a woman's 30s and 40s. (Read more: Naomi Watts shared some unfiltered thoughts on menopause and aging)

However, Ellis Ross seems to be doing well overall about getting older. "I feel smarter; I feel more comfortable in my skin," she explained to Kotb and Bush Hager. It's a comfort she didn't always know would come to her.

"If you had told me in my 20s as a teenager that I would be someone who could do really scary things, that I could be comfortable even when I was uncomfortable, that I could live life on life's terms, that I could intuitively handle situations that used to baffle me, that I had an unbreakable, unshakable foundation for life beneath me - I would have said there is no way," the Black-ish star shared. “I was scared and uncomfortable in my skin and all those things.”

Tracee Ellis Ross talked about her journey and aging her hair

Ellis Ross has been open about the fact that it was a tough road to get to where she is today. Sometimes it feels like “chewing on ground glass” to find your way through life, she explained. "And so I wake up now and yes, I have a beautiful life built around me. But the most important thing to me is how I feel inside," she said. "That even on days when I feel uncomfortable, I have a bunch of friends around me who can love me when I can't love myself. And it's a really enjoyable place and time in my life, I think."

Ellis Ross shared a clip from the latest interview on Instagram with a caption inviting fans and followers to mark their calendars for her 50th birthday. She also added a scorpion emoji, likely referencing her zodiac sign, Scorpio.

Her positive outlook on aging appears to have resonated with her social media community, as the post currently has more than 270,000 likes and countless supportive comments, including some from other celebrities. Sophia Bush shared a few emojis - some stars and a red pepper - to express herself. “Well damn, sign me up for 50!” wrote Elaine Welteroth.

Cheers to Ellis Ross as she counts down to a birthday milestone!