Menopause doesn’t directly cause a rash, but lowering estrogen levels can contribute to dry, itchy skin.

Menopause can bring about many physical changes. In addition to changes in menstruation, declining estrogen levels contribute to symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness.

Estrogen doesn’t only affect your body’s menstrual cycles. By stimulating the production of substances like collagen and oil, estrogen also helps your skin stay healthy and youthful.

While menopause can dry out and wrinkle your skin, it doesn’t directly cause skin rashes. However, shifts in estrogen levels before and during menopause may leave your skin more vulnerable to discoloration, bumps, and other signs of irritation.

During your reproductive years, estrogen helps keep your skin healthy and supple. Once estrogen production slows, your skin thins and dries out, especially in sensitive areas like your face.

The loss of estrogen can show on your skin starting in perimenopause, which is the period leading up to menopause when hormone levels begin to decline.

During this time, your body becomes more sensitive to temperature. You may have episodes in which you suddenly feel hot and sweaty, and your face gets red and flushed. This common menopause symptom is called a hot flash.

A lack of estrogen can also affect your skin’s pH, making it more sensitive. This heightened sensitivity can cause itchiness and increase the likelihood of a rash or hives when you’re exposed to irritating substances like itchy fabrics, perfumes, and dyes.

A lack of estrogen also prevents your skin from healing as quickly as it used to.

Your symptoms will depend on how menopause affects your skin.

During hot flashes, you may notice a red flush or warm sensation spreading across your skin. This flush will be most noticeable on your face, neck, and at the top of your chest.

Skin sensitivity may cause red bumps or hives to form when you come into contact with irritating substances.

Even if your rash coincides with menopause, the two aren’t necessarily connected. Many different conditions can cause rashes.

Atopic dermatitis

People with atopic dermatitis, which is also commonly referred to as eczema, develop red, itchy patches on the:

  • hands
  • feet
  • neck
  • upper body
  • arms
  • legs

Eczema is a chronic inflammatory skin condition caused by hypersensitivity to certain irritants, such as soaps, detergents, and other products. Dry, itchy skin due to menopause can cause eczema to flare up.

Contact dermatitis

Contact dermatitis causes an allergic rash. The rash appears when your skin comes in contact with certain chemicals or substances, like latex or metals like nickel.

A 2015 study in India reported that contact dermatitis was the most common skin disorder among women in perimenopause.

Lichen planus

Symptoms of lichen planus include shiny, reddish-purple bumps that you might find on your skin or gentical. An immune response triggers the rash. In some cases, it may be related to an autoimmune disorder.

People in menopause may be more likely to experience lichen planus in the mouth or vulva than people in the broader population.

Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a disease caused by an overactive immune response. The immune response causes dead skin cells to build up on the surface of your skin and form red or salmon-colored, itchy scales in lighter skin and violet or gray scales in darker skin. It can also lead to lighter or white patches in darker skin.

It’s unclear if there’s a link between menopause and psoriasis. However, a 2023 study in Korea found that people who took menopausal hormone therapy were more likely to develop psoriasis than those who did not.

Rosacea

Redness or other color changes and bumps that form on the face may be symptoms of rosacea. This is a chronic skin condition, and rash flare-ups can last for several weeks or months.

Rosacea tends to be more prevalent and more severe in females around the age of menopause. Hormonal changes during menopause may contribute to rosacea flare-ups.

Shingles

Shingles is an infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. If you’ve previously had chickenpox, you’re at risk of developing shingles. Shingles causes a painful, blistering rash on one side of the face or body.

The risk of shingles increases with age. Some experts think that hormonal changes in menopause contribute to a higher incidence of shingles among females.

If you think contact with an irritating substance, like laundry detergent or metal jewelry, caused the rash, stop using that product right away.

To relieve itching and pain until the rash fades, you can try an over-the-counter antihistamine or hydrocortisone cream. Depending on the cause of the rash, a doctor might prescribe a hydrocortisone or antifungal medication.

You can also try these techniques to soothe the itch:

If the rash is itchy, try not to scratch it. You could leave scars on your skin. To avoid irritating your skin even more, wear clothes made from soft, natural fibers like cotton.

While there’s no sure way to prevent a rash, you can take steps to protect your skin health during menopause. Experts typically recommend the following:

According to a 2022 literature review, research links menopause to the following skin conditions:

If you’re concerned about any changes to your skin, see a dermatologist for a checkup. If you can’t see a dermatologist, consider making an appointment with a primary care specialist in women’s health and gynecology.

Your doctor will start by asking about the rash, including questions like:

  • When did the rash start?
  • What, if anything, seemed to trigger the rash?
  • Does the rash itch, burn, or hurt?
  • Where on your body did the rash start?
  • Has the rash spread?
  • What have you done to treat the rash? Did the treatment help?

They’ll also ask about your health history and whether you currently take any medications.

Then, your doctor will examine the rash. They might take a sample from your skin to test in a lab. You might also need blood tests to check for skin allergies.

See a doctor as soon as you can if any of the following apply:

  • You have a fever with the rash.
  • The rash spreads quickly, or it’s all over your body.
  • The rash is leaking yellow or green fluid, or it feels hot to the touch, which are symptoms of infection.

Though menopause-related hormonal changes can show on your skin, they aren’t likely to cause a rash. Flushed skin should clear up quickly, although it might return with the next hot flash.

If you have splotches, bumps, or scaly spots on your skin that don’t improve in a few days, see a dermatologist for a skin check. You may have a skin condition that needs treatment.