Menopause Itchy Skin: Why It Happens and What Helps

Itchy, dry or crawling skin is a recognised menopause symptom: the NHS lists "skin changes, including dry and itchy skin" among the symptoms of menopause and perimenopause, and falling oestrogen thins the skin, lowers its collagen and weakens the barrier that holds water in.¹ Itch has other causes the NHS lists, a few worth a blood test, so those come first, then what helps. If you are not sure this is the menopause at all, start there, or with the Wellgard menopause guide, what is the menopause.

Is itchy skin a symptom of the menopause?

Yes: the NHS symptoms page (reviewed 19 May 2026) lists it; its itchy skin page (reviewed 19 July 2023) says "Itchy skin is also common after the menopause."^{1, 2} The reason is oestrogen. The cells of the outer skin carry oestrogen receptors, and through them the hormone influences skin hydration, collagen content and the glycosaminoglycans that form the skin barrier.³ When it falls, skin collagen falls with it: in skin biopsies, collagen declined with the years since the last period and not with chronological age,⁴ a decline a second study measured in 69 untreated postmenopausal women.⁵

Crawling skin has a medical name, formication: the feeling of insects moving on or under the skin with nothing there. In a 2024 meta-analysis of 321 studies and 482,067 middle-aged women it was the least common of nineteen menopausal symptoms, reported by 20.5% (95% confidence interval 13.4 to 28.6).⁶

What else causes itchy skin at this age?

The NHS itchy skin page says itch "has many possible causes" and "do not try to diagnose yourself".² Its list is below. A GP "might arrange a blood test, which may help find the cause"; the thyroid is the one to know, because the NHS underactive thyroid page (reviewed 28 April 2025) lists "dry skin, dry hair or hair loss" beside fatigue.⁷ The thyroid and iron tests are on perimenopause fatigue.

Vulval itch stays on why am I itchy down there; an itch there with white patches or skin changes after the menopause is on vaginal health after the menopause.

Why is it worse at night, and what is "menopause face"?

Warmth and sweat meet in bed: the NHS says hot flushes "can happen during the day or night (night sweats)", and its itch advice is a list of night-time fixes: something cool on the skin, cool or lukewarm showers, loose cotton or silk, no wool or synthetics.^{1, 2} Our hot flushes and night sweats guide covers the sweats.

"Menopause face" is a search term for flushing, redness and rashes on the face. The condition to know is rosacea, "more common in women" according to the NHS (reviewed 17 March 2023), which starts as redness across the face "that comes and goes, usually lasting for a few minutes each time" and shares a flush's triggers: alcohol, spicy food, hot drinks, sunlight, heat, exercise and stress.⁸ The difference is what is left behind: a flush passes; rosacea leaves skin that "may be red all the time", bumps and broken blood vessels, and the NHS says to see a GP.⁸

What helps: emollients and skin care as the NHS describes them

Emollients first. The NHS (reviewed 24 October 2023) describes them as "moisturising treatments applied directly to the skin to soothe and hydrate it".⁹ Creams are "good for daytime use as they're not very greasy"; ointments suit "very dry, thickened skin and night-time use". You "cannot overuse them": apply "at least 3 or 4 times a day".⁹

Washing matters as much. Everyday soaps, shampoos and shower gels "usually dry out the skin", so the NHS recommends a leave-on emollient as a soap substitute, and says aqueous cream "is no longer recommended as an emollient" because of its sodium lauryl sulphate.⁹ The itchy skin page adds an unperfumed moisturiser, "do not use perfumed soaps, deodorants or moisturisers", and patting or tapping the skin rather than scratching.² Pharmacies sell them without a prescription, and a pharmacist can say which suits you and whether you need a GP.^{2, 9} Fabrics that have touched any emollient "can easily catch fire".⁹

Does HRT help menopause skin?

Skin is not what HRT is offered for. NICE's menopause guideline (NG23, updated 15 April 2026) says at 1.5.1 "Offer HRT to people with vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause"; skin is not among the symptoms it covers.¹⁰ The skin studies are old, small and observational: in 1983, biopsies from 26 women who had used oestrogen and testosterone implants for two to ten years held 48% more collagen than those of 29 age-matched women who had not,¹¹ and the 1987 study reported the decline as prevented in 37 implant users.⁵ Implants are not today's HRT, nobody was randomised, and nothing here is a recommendation; the NHS route is your GP if you "want to know what your options are".¹ The alternatives to HRT are a separate guide.

Do collagen, omega-3 or vitamins help the skin at the menopause?

Collagen peptides have been tested for skin across the transition: a 2023 meta-analysis of 26 randomised trials in 1,721 people found higher measured skin hydration and elasticity with hydrolysed collagen than placebo.¹² The trials measured hydration with an instrument, not itch. The counts, doses and timescales for women after the menopause are on collagen and the menopause; the skin trials on does collagen make you look better and which collagen is best for sagging skin, and what else lowers skin collagen on what destroys collagen. Collagen carries no authorised health claim in Great Britain; the wording sits with vitamin C, which contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin.¹³

We found no trial of omega-3 for itchy or dry skin at the menopause; the authorised EPA and DHA wording is the normal function of the heart, at 250 mg a day, and what are the signs you need omega-3 covers the dry-skin checklists.¹³ Biotin, zinc, niacin, riboflavin and iodine each contribute to the maintenance of normal skin, a wording lawful on a product only at 15% of the nutrient reference value per serving, and one that describes what the nutrient does in everyone, not an effect on menopause skin.¹³ Zinc's trials are on what is zinc good for; the supplement-by-supplement review is which menopause supplements have evidence.

Hair thinning and a dry or burning mouth: the other changes

The NHS list also carries "hair thinning or hair loss" and "sensitive teeth, painful gums or other mouth problems".¹ We found no trial testing any supplement for hair thinning at the menopause. Biotin contributes to the maintenance of normal hair and zinc to the maintenance of normal hair and nails,¹³ and the first stop is a GP, because hair loss is on the NHS underactive thyroid list.⁷ Burning mouth syndrome, in a 2026 systematic review of 22 studies, was consistently associated with female sex, the menopause, an underactive thyroid and long-term medication use, with no single cause.¹⁴ Gums and teeth go to a dentist; a burning mouth with no dental cause to a GP.

When should I see a GP about itchy skin?

The NHS says to see a GP if itchy skin "is affecting your daily life", "does not get better with self care or keeps coming back", "is caused by a new rash, lump or swelling that you're worried about", "is all over your body" or "is severe".² With rosacea, a painful or red eye, blurred vision or light sensitivity means an urgent GP appointment or 111.⁸

Frequently asked questions

Can the menopause cause itchy skin all over?

It can, because the outer skin cells carry oestrogen receptors.³ But "is all over your body" is on the NHS list of reasons to see a GP, since thyroid, liver and kidney problems can show the same way.²

What does menopause skin crawling feel like, and is it normal?

Insects crawling on or under the skin, usually with no rash. About one woman in five (20.5%) reported it in the 2024 meta-analysis.⁶ If it keeps coming back or affects your daily life, that meets the NHS threshold for a GP visit.²

Does itchy skin go away after the menopause?

The NHS says itchy skin after the menopause "usually gets better over time", and that symptoms "usually last for 7 to 9 years, sometimes longer".^{1, 2} Dryness tends to stay, because skin collagen keeps falling with the years since the last period,^{4, 5} so the emollient routine is a habit, not a course.

Which cream is best for menopause itchy skin?

The NHS names none and neither do we: an unperfumed leave-on emollient, a cream by day and an ointment at night if the skin is very dry, used as a soap substitute too, at least three or four times a day; a pharmacist can match one to your skin.^{2, 9}

Sources

1. NHS. Symptoms of menopause and perimenopause. Reviewed 19 May 2026. nhs.uk.
2. NHS. Itchy skin. Reviewed 19 July 2023 (review overdue). nhs.uk.
3. Rimoin LP, Kwatra SG, Yosipovitch G. Female-specific pruritus from childhood to postmenopause: clinical features, hormonal factors, and treatment considerations. Dermatologic Therapy, 2013. PubMed 23551372.
4. Brincat M, et al. Long-term effects of the menopause and sex hormones on skin thickness. British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 1985. PubMed 3978054.
5. Brincat M, et al. Decline in skin collagen content and metacarpal index after the menopause and its prevention with sex hormone replacement. British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 1987. PubMed 3828252.
6. Fang Y, et al. Mapping global prevalence of menopausal symptoms among middle-aged women: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Public Health, 2024. PubMed 38956480.
7. NHS. Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism). Reviewed 28 April 2025. nhs.uk.
8. NHS. Rosacea. Reviewed 17 March 2023 (review overdue). nhs.uk.
9. NHS. Emollients. Reviewed 24 October 2023. nhs.uk.
10. NICE. Menopause: identification and management, NG23. Updated 15 April 2026. nice.org.uk.
11. Brincat M, et al. Sex hormones and skin collagen content in postmenopausal women. British Medical Journal, 1983. PubMed 6416400.
12. Pu SY, et al. Effects of oral collagen for skin anti-aging: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients, 2023. PubMed 37432180.
13. UK Government. Great Britain nutrition and health claims (NHC) register. Updated 19 May 2026. gov.uk.
14. Qaderi K, et al. Exploring the association between menopause and burning mouth syndrome: an updated review. BMC Oral Health, 2026. PubMed 42618912.