Menopause and Skin

Kim, Kye Hyun

Abstract

Aging is associated with declining levels of several hormones, including estrogen. Although the effects of estrogen on the skin are still not fully understood, it is known that, in women, declining estrogen levels are associated with a variety of cutaneous changes. In aged skin, skin is thinning, more and more dry, decreased in vascularity. The effects of estrogen deprivation on skin may include wrinkling, dryness, atrophy, laxity and poor wound healing. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) studies have not generally been scientifically vigorous but indicate mixed clinical effects regarding improvements in dry skin, stratum corneum hydration, and barrier preservation. HRT helps to maintain or restore collagen and skin thickness, possibly dampening of the pace of development of fine wrinkles, increasing skin strength, improving acute wound healing rates, and perhaps preventing skin breakdown in elderly postmenopausal women. The maintenance of skin function and appearance is important and plays an influential role in the quality of life for women who can spend up to one-third of their lives in a hypoestrogenic state. Ideally, a safe and effective topical hormone replacement preparation without systemic adverse effects would be a highly desirable treatment for hypoestrogenic skin.