Menopause & Skin Rashes

During peri-menopause and menopause, a woman's skin tends to dry out and gets thinner than it was in her younger years. The skin becomes more delicate and susceptible to environmental influences. These combined factors can lead to skin rashes. The changes in skin texture are the result of hormonal changes, including a drastic drop in estrogen and progesterone, which are the two female sex hormones, according to 34-menopause-symptoms.com.

Types

• When you develop a rash, you are probably going to itch. Itching is called pruritus. Menopausal women can develop a condition called paresthesia, which is described as having sensations comparable to pins and needles in your skin, tingling and numbness. Another skin condition that can pop up is called formication, a type of parasthesia where the woman has the sensation that creepy, crawling things on are her skin.

Location

• Some women report that the itchy skin rashes occur on the T-zone of their face and on their elbows. Others note that they are extremely itchy on their back, neck, chest and limbs, while some say their fingernails and toenails even become itchy during menopause.

Considerations

• As a woman's skin thins and her collagen production declines along with the drop in estrogen, the body is no longer able to retain moisture as it did in her younger years. In addition, we stop producing as much natural skin oil. Both of these factors result in itchy skin. When estrogen was in abundance, it stimulated the production of a fibrous protein called collagen that supported the skin and gave it residence and strength.

Potential

• Women may discover that they're experiencing acne for the first time when they reach menopause. This can happen if androgen levels (male hormones) get too high, which sometimes occurs during menopause. The lower part of your face may be targeted by acne. Acne is prevalent during adolescent and puberty but it can rear its ugly head again during menopause because of erratic hormones. Acne can further be prompted if a woman is stressed, enduring emotional problems or still having menstrual periods, according to bodyandfitness.com.

Other Factors

• Other causes of itchy skin during menopause include vitamin deficiencies, skin cancer, hypothyroidism (sluggish thyroid) drug withdrawal or drug abuse, herpes, diabetes and a fungal infection. During peri-menopause, a woman may become highly allergic due to the fact that hormones affect histamine levels. She may itch like mad and suffer from skin eruptions, according to power-surge.com.

Treatment

• Discuss your skin problems with your physician. Topical treatments may help reduce the itch. However, the rash could be indicative of something else that is going on in your body and that needs to be determined before proper treatment can be given.