How does menopause affect the skin? What are the symptoms?
Estrogen and progesterone affect the skin and help keep it healthy. Therefore, decreasing levels of estrogen and progesterone induced by menopause often contribute to the poor appearance of the skin. Estrogen levels have a direct effect on the plentitude and thickness of collagen and elastin, the firming tissues that help support the structure of the skin. The onset of menopause may cause collagen levels to decrease by as much as 2% per year, contributing to poor wound healing and leaving cystic spaces in the dermal layer known as lacunae. These may manifest themselves as openings or deep ridges under the skin, which may appear as wrinkles to the naked eye.
