Perimenopause Skin and Hair Changes Explained

Q: Are skin and hair changes a recognised symptom of perimenopause?

Yes. Dry, itchy skin and thinning hair are common in perimenopause and menopause. They come from the drop in oestrogen that defines this stage, which affects your skin's structural proteins, how well it holds moisture, and your hair's growth cycle.

Q: What skincare changes are worth making during perimenopause?

Switching to a gentle, non-foaming cleanser, moisturising consistently after a bath or shower, and applying a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher every day are practical places to start. Over-the-counter retinol products are sold as cosmetic skincare. Prescription-strength retinoids are a separate category and need a prescription, so speak to your GP or a dermatologist if you want to explore those.

Q: Can what you eat make a difference to skin and hair during perimenopause?

A balanced diet with enough protein, vitamins, and healthy fats like those in oily fish supports your body's normal processes, including making collagen. These are general healthy eating principles rather than specific treatments for hormonal change, and their benefit is in keeping your overall nutrition steady.

Q: Can HRT help with perimenopausal skin and hair changes?

HRT is recommended clinically for menopausal symptoms, mainly hot flushes and night sweats. Because it tops up your oestrogen, it may also help your skin and hair. HRT is a prescription medicine and is not right for everyone, so speak to your GP or a healthcare professional about whether it suits you.

Woman looking in mirror while making eye contact.

The information in this article is for general informational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical or dietary advice, particularly during pregnancy. If you are outside the UK, please consult your local doctor, midwife, or healthcare provider for guidance that reflects your country's recommendations.

You may have noticed your skin feeling drier than it used to, or slower to settle after a long day. A tightness after washing, a roughness that was not there before, or an itchiness that turns up for no clear reason. Your hair may feel finer in your hands, or you may be seeing more of it on the shower floor. These skin and hair changes are common in perimenopause and menopause, and there is a clear biological reason behind them.⁷

What oestrogen does for your skin

A lot of what you are noticing comes back to oestrogen. It helps keep up the structural proteins that give your skin its strength and stretch, and it supports your skin's ability to hold onto moisture. As oestrogen drops through perimenopause, your skin slows its production of these building blocks, and its natural oils and water-holding ability fade. That is often when dryness, roughness, and more easily irritated skin start to show up, as the skin's barrier weakens.¹

Collagen is the protein that takes the biggest hit. As oestrogen falls, your body makes it more slowly, and over time your skin can feel thinner, less firm, and quicker to show fine lines. The pace can surprise you. A real drop in collagen can happen in the years just after menopause begins, which is why skin changes can feel sudden even when the hormonal shift has been slow and steady.⁸

How these changes show up in your hair

Hair thinning and hair loss are common in perimenopause and menopause too. You may notice your parting looks wider, your ponytail feels thinner, or hair that was once coarser now feels fine and fragile. This kind of all-over thinning through the perimenopausal and postmenopausal years lines up with female pattern hair loss, driven by the same hormonal change.²

As oestrogen falls, its balance with androgens such as testosterone shifts. That shift can thin the hair on your scalp, and at the same time you may notice more fine hair around your chin or upper lip. Both come from the same hormonal change, which can make the whole thing feel contradictory.³⁹

An elderly woman using a hair brush to style her hair.

Nutritional support for skin and hair

A varied diet rich in protein and vitamins gives your body what it needs to keep supporting your skin and hair. Protein supplies the building blocks your body uses to make collagen, and nutrients like vitamin C help that process along. A good practical starting point is a range of colourful vegetables, lean proteins, and whole foods.¹⁰

Oily fish like salmon is a source of omega-3 fatty acids, which fit into a balanced diet and line up with general healthy eating advice. If you do not eat fish, you can find omega-3s in foods like flaxseed, chia seeds, and walnuts. Keeping your fluids up supports your skin's ability to work normally. These are everyday eating habits rather than treatments, and their value is in keeping your overall nutrition steady rather than reversing the hormonal change itself.⁴

Skincare approaches that suit this stage

Moisturising regularly, especially right after a bath or shower while your skin is still slightly damp, helps it hold onto water. Swapping soap for a gentle, non-foaming cleanser is kinder too, since it is less likely to strip away the natural oils your skin is already making less of. These small adjustments work with your skin's changed needs rather than against them.⁵

Using a broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher every day is one of the most reliably useful steps you can take at this stage, since UV exposure speeds up collagen breakdown in skin that is already producing less. Over-the-counter retinol products are sold as cosmetic skincare and are used to support skin texture and collagen. Prescription-strength retinoids such as tretinoin are a separate, prescription-only medicine. If you want to look into prescription options, it is worth talking to your GP or a dermatologist.⁶

Setting realistic expectations

The skin and hair changes you are noticing come from a real shift in how your body supports them hormonally. What has changed is the hormonal environment, and the practical steps above work alongside it. Progress tends to be gradual and results vary, so the aim of any skincare or nutrition approach here is to support comfort and function rather than to stop a biological process completely.

Hormone replacement therapy and skin and hair health

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is recommended in clinical guidance for managing menopausal symptoms, mainly hot flushes and night sweats. Because HRT works by topping up your falling oestrogen, you may find it helps your skin and hair too. It is a prescription medicine and is not right for everyone. Whether it suits you depends on your own health history, and that is a conversation to have with your GP or another qualified healthcare professional.¹¹

Frequently Asked Questions

Are skin and hair changes a recognised symptom of perimenopause?

What skincare changes are worth making during perimenopause?

Can what you eat make a difference to skin and hair during perimenopause?

Can HRT help with perimenopausal skin and hair changes?

Sources

[1] Expert Tips for Managing Menopause Skin Changes

As oestrogen levels fall, the skin's natural oils and capacity to retain water diminish, resulting in dryness, roughness, and increased sensitivity as the skin's barrier becomes less effective.
[2] Hair loss female pattern (androgenetic alopecia)

The British Association of Dermatologists' 2023 guidelines on hair loss disorders link diffuse thinning during the perimenopausal and postmenopausal years to female pattern hair loss driven by hormonal change.
[3] Menopause, Skin and Hair: What's Really Happening and How a Dermatologist Can Help

As oestrogen falls, the relative balance between oestrogen and androgens such as testosterone shifts, which can contribute to thinning at the scalp and in some cases an increase in fine facial hair around the chin or upper lip.
[4] Expert Tips for Managing Menopause Skin Changes

Oily fish such as salmon is a source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are part of a balanced diet and consistent with general healthy eating guidance.
[5] Looking After Your Skin, Nails and Hair during the Perimenopause and Menopause

Moisturising regularly, particularly directly after bathing, can help the skin retain water; using a gentle, non-foaming cleanser rather than soap reduces the risk of stripping natural oils.
[6] Menopause, Skin and Hair: What's Really Happening and How a Dermatologist Can Help

Daily use of a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher protects skin from ultraviolet exposure, which accelerates collagen breakdown. Over-the-counter retinol products are used in cosmetic skincare to support skin texture and collagen; prescription-strength retinoids such as tretinoin are prescription-only medicines.
[7] Symptoms of menopause and perimenopause

Dry and itchy skin and hair thinning or loss are listed as common symptoms of perimenopause and menopause.
[8] Menopause, Skin and Hair: What's Really Happening and How a Dermatologist Can Help

Declining oestrogen slows collagen production, leading to skin that feels thinner, less firm, and more prone to fine lines; significant collagen reduction can occur in the years immediately following the onset of menopause.
[9] What is happening to your skin and hair during the change?

As oestrogen falls, the relative balance between oestrogen and androgens such as testosterone shifts, which can contribute to thinning at the scalp and in some cases an increase in fine facial hair around the chin or upper lip.
[10] Looking After Your Skin, Nails and Hair during the Perimenopause and Menopause

A varied diet rich in protein and vitamins supports the body's own processes for maintaining skin and hair, including collagen synthesis.
[11] Recommendations | Menopause: diagnosis and management

HRT is recommended by clinical guidance for the management of menopausal symptoms, primarily vasomotor symptoms such as hot flushes, and because it replenishes oestrogen it may also have a positive effect on skin and hair.