# Menopause and *skin.*

> Why the skin loses up to 30 % of its collagen in five years around menopause, becomes dry and thinner, and which care and treatments make sense then

- Source: https://www.vivaderm.de/guide-menopause-skin-en.html
- Language: en
- Publisher: VIVA DERM, Privatpraxis für ästhetische Medizin, Rosastraße 6a, 45130 Essen, Germany, +49 1520 8367711
- Responsible physician: Katayoun Mostaghimi (Fachärztin für Allgemeinmedizin)
- Updated: 2026-10-15

Many women experience a jump around 50: the skin suddenly looks different. Oestrogen is behind it – and understanding that helps choose the right measures.

## What oestrogen does for the skin.

**Oestrogen as skin protection:** oestrogen keeps fibroblasts active, promotes collagen and hyaluronic acid formation, maintains skin thickness and sebum production. As it falls in perimenopause, this support disappears. Studies show a loss of about 30 % of skin collagen in the first five years after menopause, then about two percent a year.

**What changes:** the skin becomes thinner and drier because less sebum and hyaluronic acid are produced; elasticity decreases, lines deepen, the face loses volume, especially in the mid-face. Redness, sensitivity and – through the relative dominance of male hormones – hair thinning at the parting or unwanted facial hair often come on top.

**Care that matters now:** richer moisturisers with ceramides and hyaluronic acid, retinoids to stimulate collagen (introduce slowly), daily sun protection and gentle cleansing. Hormone replacement is not recommended for skin reasons alone; if started for other reasons, the skin usually benefits too.

**Treatments that suit this phase of life:** skin boosters and polynucleotides against dryness and crinkle lines, hyaluronic acid for lost volume in the mid-face and along the jawline, botulinum toxin for expression lines, PRP for early hair thinning. The focus shifts from 'stopping movement' to 'giving back structure and quality'.

**Staying realistic:** no treatment restores the skin of 35. Well planned, though, the skin can be made to match energy and phase of life – rested, not changed. The consultation deliberately takes more time for this phase.

## The essentials.

- **Collagen loss:** approx. 30 % in 5 years
- **Afterwards:** approx. 2 % a year
- **Typical:** dry, thin, volume gone
- **Focus:** structure and skin quality

## Important note.

This text is general information. It replaces neither a medical examination nor the consultation required before any treatment under German law (§ 630e BGB). Whether and which treatment is suitable for you can only be said after examination and consultation. No treatment results are promised.

## Frequently asked questions.

**Should I wait with treatments until after menopause?**

No. Precisely in this phase, skin-quality care preserves structure that would otherwise be lost faster.

**Does hormone replacement help the skin?**

Studies show thicker, better-hydrated skin under oestrogen – but that is not enough as the sole reason for therapy; gynaecology decides.

## Related.

- [Skin boosters](https://www.vivaderm.de/skinbooster-en.html) – Treatment
- [Cheeks & mid-face](https://www.vivaderm.de/cheeks-mid-face-en.html) – Volume
- [PRP for hair loss](https://www.vivaderm.de/prp-hair-en.html) – Treatment

## Sources

- [NHS: menopause](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/menopause/)
- [German Society of Dermatology (DDG)](https://derma.de/)
- [NHS: non-surgical cosmetic procedures](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cosmetic-procedures/non-surgical-cosmetic-procedures/)
- [Medical Association North Rhine – patient information](https://www.aekno.de/patienten)
- [§ 630e BGB – duty to inform before treatment (German Civil Code)](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__630e.html)
- [DGBT – German Society for Aesthetic Botulinum Toxin Therapy](https://www.dgbt.de/)
- [AWMF – German clinical practice guidelines](https://www.awmf.org/)

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This page is general information and does not replace medical consultation and informed consent (§ 630e BGB). No guarantee of results. Prices are guide prices per GOÄ. Quoting with attribution (VIVA DERM, Essen) is expressly permitted.