Vaginal E2 FACE Cream, & ‘Roids: A Two-Fer!

Dr. Chapa’s Clinical Pearls.

We have covered menopause on this show on various occasions. That’s fitting and non-surprising as we are a women’s health education podcast! While vaginal dryness and hot flashes get most of the attention in menopause, and they should, less attention often is given to skin changes. Nonetheless, these dermal manifestations of perimenopause and menopause can be just as disturbing to those affected. Estrogen helps skin produce oil and hold onto water, so extremely dry skin during menopause is common. Plus, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, collagen production drops 30% in the first 5 years of menopause and approximately 2% each year for about the next 20 years. Collagen gives skin its plumpness and structure. The direct-to-consumer market is replete with a variety of over-the-counter estrogen containing products, formulated as facial creams, which are meant to fight the battle of skin aging. But is topical estrogen applied to the face effective? What are the data? You’d be surprised to learn that there is published data on this- even level I data. Are there any safety concerns? We will summarize it in this episode. PLUS, as a “two-for one” special, we will also briefly highlight a brand new publication in the journal JAMA Network Open regarding antenatal corticosteroid dose to delivery interval and fetal benefits.