Why Does Skin Become More Sensitive During Perimenopause and Menopause?

One of the stranger things about perimenopause is discovering that things you've worn, used or done quite happily for years can suddenly start annoying you.

A fabric feels scratchier. A waistband feels more noticeable. Your favourite body wash suddenly seems less friendly. And underwear that you've worn without a second thought can start feeling uncomfortable by the end of the day... It's not necessarily your imagination.

Hormonal changes during perimenopause and menopause can affect our skin, including the particularly delicate skin around the vulva. So if you've found yourself becoming considerably fussier about what you wear against your skin, there may be a reason for it.

What happens to our skin during perimenopause?

As we move through perimenopause and menopause, levels of oestrogen change and eventually decline.

We often associate this with periods stopping, hot flushes and night sweats, but oestrogen also plays a role in our skin and genital tissues.

The Australasian Menopause Society notes that changes during the menopausal transition and post-menopause can include vaginal and vulval dryness and thinning of the labia, and that dryness can make existing skin conditions more irritating.

In other words, skin that previously tolerated friction, tight clothing or certain products may become less forgiving.

Dryness isn't only about the vagina

We hear a lot about "vaginal dryness" as a symptom of peri and menopause, but there's an important distinction that doesn't get discussed nearly as often.

The vagina is internal. The vulva is the external genital area that actually comes into contact with your underwear.

Lower oestrogen levels can affect both.

Healthdirect explains that lower oestrogen is the most common cause of vaginal dryness, while clinical guidance also recognises that vulval skin can become thinner and drier during and after menopause, making it more susceptible to irritation.

So while some women find themselves dealing with more moisture during perimenopause thanks to sweating and hot flushes, others may be experiencing dryness, sensitivity or irritation.

And plenty of women will experience a rather unhelpful combination of both.

Suddenly, what sits against your skin matters more

Your underwear spends an extraordinary amount of time against some of the most sensitive skin on your body.

When that skin becomes drier or more easily irritated, things you previously ignored can become much more noticeable: rough fabric, tight elastic, seams, heat, friction or a garment that doesn't breathe particularly well.

This is one reason medical guidance around vulval care commonly recommends looser-fitting underwear made from natural fibres such as cotton. The Australasian Menopause Society recommends underwear made from natural fibres as part of general vulvovaginal care, while the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists recommends loose-fitting cotton or silk underwear for women experiencing vulval skin problems.

It's also why we're rather particular about what sits against the body at Wicks.

Every Wicks piece is lined in GOTS-certified organic cotton, so even when the outside of the garment uses mesh or stretch fabrics, the fabric directly against your most intimate skin is beautifully soft and breathable.

What about sweating and moisture?

Here's where perimenopause gets particularly contradictory.

At exactly the time some intimate skin may be becoming drier and more sensitive, hot flushes and changes in sweating can mean you're also dealing with more moisture.

That's why we don't think underwear for this stage of life should simply be about "keeping you dry."

It's about creating a comfortable environment against the skin.

Softness matters when skin feels sensitive. Breathability matters when you're hot. Moisture management matters when you're sweating. And a fabric that feels perfectly pleasant at 8am needs to continue feeling that way several hours later.

Our organic-cotton lining is designed with this in mind, with moisture-wicking and anti-odour protection quietly built in.

Sometimes the simplest changes help

If your skin has become more sensitive, your underwear isn't necessarily the only thing worth looking at.

Clinical vulval-care guidance commonly recommends avoiding heavily fragranced soaps, shower gels, wipes and other products around the vulva, as well as avoiding very tight clothing if it makes symptoms worse.

And if you're experiencing persistent itching, burning, soreness, pain or significant vaginal dryness, it's worth talking to your GP or another healthcare professional rather than assuming it's simply something you have to tolerate. These symptoms can have several causes, and treatments are available for menopausal vaginal dryness and other vulvovaginal conditions.

Your skin changed. Your underwear can too.

One of the recurring themes of perimenopause is discovering just how many things oestrogen was quietly involved in all along.

Your skin changing doesn't mean you suddenly need a drawer full of medical-looking underwear.

It might simply mean becoming a little more discerning about what you're prepared to have sitting against your body all day.

Look for softness. Look at the fabric against your skin, not just the fabric you can see from the outside. Pay attention to anything that rubs, digs in or leaves you desperate to take your underwear off when you get home.

Because sometimes becoming more sensitive isn't such a bad thing. It can also mean becoming much less willing to put up with things that aren't comfortable anymore.