Oestrogens and the skin.

Oestrogen loss at the menopause has a profound influence on skin. Oestrogen treatment in post-menopausal women has repeatedly been shown to increase collagen content, dermal thickness and elasticity. Data on the effect of oestrogen on skin water content are also promising. Further, physiological studies on oestrogen and wound healing suggest that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may play a beneficial role in cutaneous injury repair. Results of the effect of HRT on other physiological characteristics of skin, such as elastin content, sebaceous secretions, wrinkling and blood flow, are discordant. Given the responsiveness of skin to oestrogen, the effects of HRT on ageing skin require further examination and careful molecular studies will probably clarify oestrogen's effects at the cellular level.