Skin Rejuvenation in Women using Menopausal Hormone Therapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) on skin aging in menopausal women.

Methods: Studies were identified by searching PubMed, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases using the key words "hormone replacement therapy" AND "skin" AND "menopausal." Studies that used and compared oral/transdermal MHT with placebo or another type of treatment in menopausal women aged 45-55 years were selected.

Results: From 1,526 studies identified, 15 studies comprising 1,589 patients were included in the final analysis. Our meta-analysis aimed to compare skin elasticity (standard [Std] mean difference = 0.28; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.03-0.54; = 0.03), skin thickness (Std. mean difference = 1.27; 95% CI, 0.88-1.66; < 0.00001), collagen content (Std. mean difference = 2.01; 95% CI, 1.42-2.61; < 0.00001), and skin dryness (Std. mean difference = 0.15; 95% CI, -0.05 to 0.35; = 0.14).

Conclusions: MHT increases elasticity and collagen content in the skin, thereby reducing the severity of wrinkles and increasing skin thickness. Nevertheless, more well-conducted clinical trials are required to answer all questions in an evidence-based manner.