Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsFluctuations Linked to EczemaSigns of a Hormonal ImbalanceBalancing HormonesFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Fluctuations Linked to Eczema
Signs of a Hormonal Imbalance
Balancing Hormones
Frequently Asked Questions
Though there are many triggers foreczema, most people don’t think about hormones and eczema. However, changes in hormone levels can lead to hormonal eczema. This is why you may experience eczema during your period, after pregnancy, or during menopause.
This article will cover must-know information about hormones and eczema. We’ll explain how and why hormone fluctuations, particularly in females, can cause a hormonal rash or eczema.
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Hormonal Fluctuations Linked to Eczema
Hormones are chemical messengers that control all of your body’s functions. It’s normal and healthy to experiencehormone fluctuations. But those fluctuations may impact your eczema, making symptoms more or less severe.
The hormones that often make eczema worse, estrogen and progesterone, are female sex hormones. This may explain why eczema is more common in adult females than adult males.
1. Puberty
Pubertyis a time when a child’s body undergoes changes that make it an adults’ body. Both sexes experience hormonal changes. Interestingly, puberty is often a time of fewer eczema symptoms.There are a few reasons for that.
Interestingly, for many, eczema improves before or during puberty. There are a few reasons for that. To begin with, up to 80% of people with eczema outgrow the condition.This can coincide with puberty. In addition, theoily skinoften associated with puberty can counteract dry skin associated with eczema.Unfortunately for those teenagers who do not outgrow eczema, the physical appearance of eczema can lead to emotional distress.
Still, skin changes during puberty can be challenging for teens with eczema. They must develop a skincare routine to manage their condition.
2. Menstruation
Hormonal changes in themenstrual cycleare closely related to eczema symptoms. Many notice that their symptoms get worse in the week before their period.This is a time when estrogen levels dip, but progesterone levels rise rapidly. The symptoms may last, leading to eczema during period days too.
Hormonal rashIn addition to worsening eczema symptoms, females can experience other hormonal rashes in the lead to their periods. Progesterone dermatitis is a rare condition in which a rash appears a few days before a person’s period and can persist through menstruation or even linger for a few days after.Women can also experience otherallergic reactions to menstrual hormones, which often manifest as skin rashes.
Hormonal rash
In addition to worsening eczema symptoms, females can experience other hormonal rashes in the lead to their periods. Progesterone dermatitis is a rare condition in which a rash appears a few days before a person’s period and can persist through menstruation or even linger for a few days after.Women can also experience otherallergic reactions to menstrual hormones, which often manifest as skin rashes.
3. Pregnancy
Duringpregnancy, your body has more Th2 immune cell activity. This helps protect the growing fetus, but also makes you more prone to eczema. About half of women with eczema have worsening symptoms during pregnancy.Your OB-GYN and dermatologist can help you find eczema treatments that are safe during pregnancy.
4. Menopause
Duringmenopause, both progesterone and estrogen levels drop. While this can lead to less Th2 immune cell activity, it poses risks. Drops in estrogen are associated with drier skin, changes to the skin microbiome, and slower repair of damage to the skin.That can all make symptoms of eczema worse.
If menopause makes your eczema symptoms worse, talk to your healthcare provider about whetherhormone replacement therapymight help.
5. Birth Control
There’s no clear research on a birth control eczema connection. However,birth control can cause other rashesassociated with changes with estrogen and progesterone levels, so it’s plausible that birth control could be linked to eczema. If you think your birth control is making eczema worse, talk with your healthcare provider.
Hormonal fluctuations are a normal part of adult life, especially for females. However, sometimes underlying medical conditions like thyroid disease and stress can cause a hormone imbalance.
Symptoms of a hormone imbalance can include:
If you’re concerned about a hormone imbalance, ask your healthcare provider about ablood testthat can check your hormone levels.
Balancing Hormones to Control Eczema
Many of the impacts of hormones and eczema are due to normal hormone fluctuations. In that case, you don’t need to balance your hormones to control symptoms. However, you can talk with your healthcare provider about ways to manage eczema symptoms during hormonal times including right before your period, during pregnancy, and during menopause.
Summary
Hormonal changes can make eczema symptoms worse, particularly for females. Female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone can cause more Th2 immune cell activity, which is associated with eczema symptoms. That’s why you might experience a hormonal rash during pregnancy or just before your period. During menopause, drops in these hormones can lead to dry, damaged skin that is more prone to eczema.
A Word From Verywell
—CASEY GALLAGHER, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
Frequently Asked QuestionsYes. During menopause, levels of estrogen and progesterone drop. Falling estrogen levels are associated with dry skin, changes to the skin microbiome and slower repair of damage to the skin. All of that can compound eczema symptoms. A hormone test can help you determine whether you’re in menopause.Talk with your healthcare provider about treatments that may work for you. Many eczema treatments, like steroid creams, are safe during pre-menstrual time, pregnancy, and menopause. Treatments that control your symptoms will help keep flares at bay when your hormones change.There are many differenteczema triggers. The clothes you wear and items in your environment—like pollen or pet dander—can all trigger eczema. If you have eczema, consider keeping a journal to track triggers and identify what triggers are most likely to cause symptoms. Avoiding these triggers can help alleviate symptoms.
Yes. During menopause, levels of estrogen and progesterone drop. Falling estrogen levels are associated with dry skin, changes to the skin microbiome and slower repair of damage to the skin. All of that can compound eczema symptoms. A hormone test can help you determine whether you’re in menopause.
Talk with your healthcare provider about treatments that may work for you. Many eczema treatments, like steroid creams, are safe during pre-menstrual time, pregnancy, and menopause. Treatments that control your symptoms will help keep flares at bay when your hormones change.
There are many differenteczema triggers. The clothes you wear and items in your environment—like pollen or pet dander—can all trigger eczema. If you have eczema, consider keeping a journal to track triggers and identify what triggers are most likely to cause symptoms. Avoiding these triggers can help alleviate symptoms.
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Tuttle, K.Novel systemic treatments in atopic dermatitis: Are there sex differences?International Journal of Women’s Dermatology.2021. doi.org: 10.1016/j.ijwd.2021.10.002.Moreno AS, McPhee R, Arruda LK, and Howell MD.Targeting the T helper 2 inflammatory axis in atopic dermatitis.International Archives of Allergy and Immunology. 2016. doi.org: 10.1159/000451083.Kanda, Naoko, Toshihiko Hoashi, and Hidehisa Saeki. “The roles of sex hormones in the course of atopic dermatitis.”International Journal of Molecular Sciences.2019 doi: 10.3390/ijms20194660.Eczema Association Australasia.Teenagers who have eczema.National Eczema Association.Eczema stats.Autoimmune Association.What is progesterone dermatitis?National Eczema Association.Eczema and pregnancy.National Eczema Society.Menopause and eczema.Hormone Health UK.10 warning signs you may have a hormonal imbalance (and what to do about it).
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Tuttle, K.Novel systemic treatments in atopic dermatitis: Are there sex differences?International Journal of Women’s Dermatology.2021. doi.org: 10.1016/j.ijwd.2021.10.002.Moreno AS, McPhee R, Arruda LK, and Howell MD.Targeting the T helper 2 inflammatory axis in atopic dermatitis.International Archives of Allergy and Immunology. 2016. doi.org: 10.1159/000451083.Kanda, Naoko, Toshihiko Hoashi, and Hidehisa Saeki. “The roles of sex hormones in the course of atopic dermatitis.”International Journal of Molecular Sciences.2019 doi: 10.3390/ijms20194660.Eczema Association Australasia.Teenagers who have eczema.National Eczema Association.Eczema stats.Autoimmune Association.What is progesterone dermatitis?National Eczema Association.Eczema and pregnancy.National Eczema Society.Menopause and eczema.Hormone Health UK.10 warning signs you may have a hormonal imbalance (and what to do about it).
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Tuttle, K.Novel systemic treatments in atopic dermatitis: Are there sex differences?International Journal of Women’s Dermatology.2021. doi.org: 10.1016/j.ijwd.2021.10.002.Moreno AS, McPhee R, Arruda LK, and Howell MD.Targeting the T helper 2 inflammatory axis in atopic dermatitis.International Archives of Allergy and Immunology. 2016. doi.org: 10.1159/000451083.Kanda, Naoko, Toshihiko Hoashi, and Hidehisa Saeki. “The roles of sex hormones in the course of atopic dermatitis.”International Journal of Molecular Sciences.2019 doi: 10.3390/ijms20194660.Eczema Association Australasia.Teenagers who have eczema.National Eczema Association.Eczema stats.Autoimmune Association.What is progesterone dermatitis?National Eczema Association.Eczema and pregnancy.National Eczema Society.Menopause and eczema.Hormone Health UK.10 warning signs you may have a hormonal imbalance (and what to do about it).
Tuttle, K.Novel systemic treatments in atopic dermatitis: Are there sex differences?International Journal of Women’s Dermatology.2021. doi.org: 10.1016/j.ijwd.2021.10.002.
Moreno AS, McPhee R, Arruda LK, and Howell MD.Targeting the T helper 2 inflammatory axis in atopic dermatitis.International Archives of Allergy and Immunology. 2016. doi.org: 10.1159/000451083.
Kanda, Naoko, Toshihiko Hoashi, and Hidehisa Saeki. “The roles of sex hormones in the course of atopic dermatitis.”International Journal of Molecular Sciences.2019 doi: 10.3390/ijms20194660.
Eczema Association Australasia.Teenagers who have eczema.
National Eczema Association.Eczema stats.
Autoimmune Association.What is progesterone dermatitis?
National Eczema Association.Eczema and pregnancy.
National Eczema Society.Menopause and eczema.
Hormone Health UK.10 warning signs you may have a hormonal imbalance (and what to do about it).
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