The Refined Fit

If your skin has suddenly gone from normal (or even oily) to feeling like sandpaper overnight, you're not imagining things - and you're not alone. Dry, itchy, tight, papery skin is one of the most common - and most under-talked-about - symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. The culprit? Dropping estrogen levels that affect everything from your skin's moisture barrier to its collagen production. The good news: there's a lot you can do about it.

Itchy skin is one of the most annoying - and least talked about - symptoms of menopause. It's caused primarily by dropping estrogen levels, which leads to thinner, drier, less elastic skin that struggles to retain moisture. Some women experience a crawling or pins-and-needles sensation on the skin (called formication) which can feel completely alarming if you don't know what it is. The good news? There's a lot you can do about it.