Skin water-holding capacity and transdermal estrogen therapy for menopause: a pilot study.

The effects of menopause and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on the epidermis are largely unknown. The aim of this study was to model and measure the influence of estrogen-transdermal HRT on subtle physiological changes taking place in the epidermis during the perimenopause. Skin capacitance and transepidermal water loss were measured both on normal-looking skin and at the site of a plastic occlusion stress test (POST). Two groups of 15 menopausal women were enrolled. One group was untreated and the other received transdermal estrogen. The water-holding capacity of the stratum corneum was significantly increased at the POST site in women receiving transdermal estrogen. The improvement in the skin water-holding capacity, which is known to be associated with a beneficial effect on the skin barrier function, may contribute to the prevention of several dermatoses.