The influence of endocrinal changes on women’s skin

Introduction: The structure, functioning and appearance of the skin result from many factors and are changing in various periods of life. In women’s life there are several periods according to biological age and hormonal changes: childhood, adolescence, child bearing age, menopause, and old age. There are some physiological conditions and skin diseases that are characteristic for those periods, but many skin changes can occur at any age.
Objective: To collect data on the most common skin changes in various periods of women’s life.
Materials and methods: The study was conducted among 100 women of 25 years and over, using a specially prepared questionnaire, which was voluntary and anonymous. The questions concerned demographics, occurrence of skin lesions during adolescence, pregnancy and menopause, and methods of managing.
Results: Seborrhoea of the scalp was the most commonly observed dermatological problem of adolescents. Pregnant women complained about various skin lesions, especially striae distensae of breast and abdominal skin. The major problem in menopausal women was flushing.
Conclusions: Analysis of the questionnaire showed that only a few women seek specialist help.