At what age does menopause begin and what are the symptoms?

At what age does menopause begin and what are the symptoms?
I think the average age is around 50 give or take a few years...
you gain weight, hot flashes, periods stop and start again, hair growth...not pretty, some depression, thinning of the skin and hair
and it last till you are around 60-65,
50 hot n cold flashes
Can begin anywhere from mid to late 30's to mid to late 60's. It's different for every woman.
It usually begins with skipped periods or light periods. That's one symptom, but often that can happen for awhile and things go back to normal for awhile...and so on...
.
http://www.fbhc.org/patients/modules/men...
http://www.menopause.org/default.htm...

Hopefully those two sites can help you out a lot.
When does it start?
The average age of menopause is 51 years old. But there is no way to predict when you'll get it. Most women reach menopause between the ages of 45 and 55, but menopause may occur as earlier as the 30s or 40s or may not occur until a woman reaches her 60s. As a rough "rule of thumb," women tend to undergo menopause at an age similar to that of their mothers. But my mother had a hysterectomy so that doesn't help me any!
Symptoms? It varies.
Irregular periods, my friends in their 50's have hot flashes and night sweats, sometimes vaginal dryness or itching (ewww), tiredness, irritability, memory problems, and mood swings. Some women experience weight gain, wrinkles, acne, and hair on their chin, lip, chest.
I'm 48 and have the acne and some hair on my chin-neither of which I am enjoying!
Good luck!