TREATMENT OF SKIN AGING SYMPTOMS IN PERIMENOPAUSAL FEMALES WITH ESTROGEN COMPOUNDS - A PILOT-STUDY

A wide range of somatic symptoms of the perimenopausal female is due t o the decrease of estrogen at that age. Minor attention has been paid hitherto to the involvement of estrogens in female skin ageing symptom s. In our study, the ageing skin of the face of perimenopausal females was treated with a 0.3% estriol cream (8 patients) or with a 0.01% es tradiol cream (10 patients) for 6 months. Dermatologic follow-up was p erformed monthly. At each follow-up venous blood for radioimmuno assay determination of prolactin (PRL), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and estradiol (E(2)) was sampled. In addition, prior to and after 3 an d 6 months of treatment, gynecological examinations for climacteric sy mptoms, mammary and colposcopic investigations and vaginal smears for cytology were performed. Both treatment groups showed improvement of t he various skin ageing symptoms at the end of treatment. The effects o f the group treated with topical estriol were slightly superior with r egard to their extent and onset. No hormonal side effects were noted e ither clinically or by hormone monitoring. According to these prelimin ary results, local estrogen treatment appears to be a promising new ap proach for the treatment of skin ageing in perimenopausal females. How ever, for minimizing the risk of systemic hormonal side effects, conce ntrations and size of application field should be limited.