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Galderma tackles menopause-related skin changes with global survey and clinical trial inclusivity

  • Results from a global survey of over 4,300 women across five continents presented at IMCAS 2026 reveal a knowledge gap on the impact of menopause on the skin, despite women experiencing around three skin changes during menopause1
  • Galderma will also host a symposium delving into the challenges and science behind menopause-related skin changes and aesthetic solutions at the congress 
  • Galderma is committed to raising awareness of the impact of menopause on the skin, fostering meaningful dialogue between patients and healthcare professionals, and advancing science-backed solutions by incorporating menopausal status into all injectable aesthetics clinical trials

Zug, Switzerland – January 30, 2026 – Galderma (SIX: GALD) has unveiled findings from a global survey of peri- and post-menopausal women from nine countries exploring the impact of menopause on the skin at the International Master Course on Aging Science (IMCAS) 2026 World Congress in Paris, France, from January 29-31, 2026. The survey found that over 50% of women learned about the effects of menopause on the skin by going through it themselves, with most finding out about it in their 40s.2 However, over 30% would have liked to learn about this in their 30s and over 50% are at best neutral or dissatisfied with their knowledge on the topic.2

To address this knowledge gap, Galderma will leverage its expertise in dermatology to advance awareness, understanding, education, and treatment approaches for menopause-related skin changes. With around 85% of aesthetic patients being female, it is important to understand how these treatments can support women at all stages of life, especially during the complex time of the menopause.3 To help advance this understanding, Galderma has made the pioneering decision to now include menopausal status in its clinical trials to provide critical insights into how its injectable aesthetic treatments can best serve this patient population.

Menopausal women experience a decline in estrogen, which supports many aspects of skin health, with fluctuations starting in the peri-menopausal stage.4,5 Decreasing estrogen leads to an expedited decline in collagen and elastin, with a 30% reduction in collagen seen within the first five years post-menopause, causing the skin to lose firmness and be more prone to wrinkles.4-6 It also decreases the hyaluronic acid levels in the skin, which can result in dehydration, dryness, and itchiness.4 

Often not very well-known and understood, the effects of menopause on the skin are frequently overlooked but can negatively impact wellbeing.2,7,8 Galderma’s survey found that women agreed or strongly agreed that menopause-related skin changes made them feel less attractive (60%), anxious (57%), less confident (55%), and want to socialize less (46%).1Aesthetic treatments can help to address this by targeting the root causes and correcting these skin changes for an enhanced look, and as a result, can boost confidence and positive self-perception.4,5

“Aesthetic treatments are important tools in addressing and preventing the varied menopause-related skin changes women can experience. Hyaluronic acid treatments can help to correct skin changes through enhanced hydration and contour, whereas biostimulators can help to regenerate skin health from the inside by boosting collagen and elastin to improve firmness and radiance. This survey is an important step forward in understanding the impact of menopause-related skin changes and the role that aesthetic solutions can play for both prevention and treatment.” 

DR. DORIS DAY

BOARD-CERTIFIED DERMATOLOGIST

UNITED STATES

Global findings highlight the unspoken struggles of skin changes during menopause 

Galderma’s survey presented as a poster at IMCAS included more than 4,300 peri- and post-menopausal women aged 45-60 from the United States, Brazil, Germany, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, China, and Thailand, who have had or would be open to aesthetic treatments.1 Results showed: 

  • The women surveyed experienced an average of three skin changes to the face and body since the start of menopause.2 The main changes were lines and wrinkles (experienced by 59% of women on the face and 33% on the body), loss of firmness and elasticity (58% on the face and 54% on the body), increased dryness (56% on the face and 58% on the body) and a duller skin tone (40% on the face and 30% on the body).1
  • The overall impact of skin changes on the face and body was rated six out of ten in severity.2
  • Of all the treatments or actions to help reduce the effects of menopause – such as cognitive behavioral therapy, exercise changes, food supplements and traditional medicine – aesthetic treatments had the highest level of satisfaction with results.2
  • Many women said they would consider aesthetic treatments in the future to help with menopause-related skin changes: 47% would consider anti-wrinkle treatment, 41% hyaluronic acid treatment, 39% hyaluronic acid skin quality treatment, and 30% biostimulators.2
  • Currently, women primarily use aesthetics as treatment for menopause related-skin changes (49%) rather than for prevention (26%), likely because many women learned about the impact on the skin when going through the menopause, restricting the window for preventative action.2 Yet, over 60% of women would have acted differently if they had known earlier about the impact of menopause on the skin.2 

“As the pure-play dermatology category leader, we are committed to driving meaningful change for every skin story. Through this global survey, close collaboration with our network of experts and ensuring that menopausal status is included in all our clinical trials moving forward, we aim to elevate awareness and advance aesthetic solutions, backed by robust evidence, for women navigating this important life stage.”

BILL ANDRIOPOULOS, PH.D. 

HEAD OF GLOBAL MEDICAL AFFAIRS

GALDERMA

Science-backed solutions to help the skin thrive through menopause 

Galderma, with its broad injectable aesthetics portfolio, deep expertise in dermatology, and close collaboration with the community, is well positioned to spearhead a drive in awareness around menopause-related skin changes, to ensure it becomes an integral part of patient-healthcare professional conversations and provide effective science-backed solutions. 

Galderma’s complimentary portfolio can address the underlying causes of these skin changes. Sculptra®, the first proven regenerative biostimulator, boosts elastin and collagen across the three layers of the skin, helping to gradually restore volume, firmness, radiance and skin quality, with results lasting for more than two years, and its indication in the European Union was recently expanded for use beyond the face on the body.9-16 While Galderma’s Restylane® portfolio of hyaluronic acid treatments, with a formulation that closely mimics the skin’s naturally occurring hyaluronic acid, is designed to help the skin stay hydrated and smooth.17-23 

References

  1. Fabi G, et al. The potential role of biostimulators/dermal fillers to address menopause-related skin conditions. Poster presented at IMCAS; January 29-31, 2026; Paris, France. 
  2. Galderma. Data on file. Menopause Patient Survey.
  3. Ashley E, Chadha P, and Watson L. Unveiling Gender Disparity: A Closer Look at Speaker Representation at International Aesthetic Medicine Conferences. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2024;17(9):25-27.
  4. Viscomi B, Muniz M, Sattler S. Managing Menopausal Skin Changes: A Narrative Review of Skin Quality Changes, Their Aesthetic Impact, and the Actual Role of Hormone Replacement Therapy in Improvement. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2025;24(Suppl 4):e70393. doi: 10.1111/jocd.70393.
  5. Lephart ED and Naftolin F. Menopause and the Skin: Old Favorites and New Innovations in Cosmeceuticals for Estrogen-Deficient Skin. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2020;11(1):53-69. doi: 10.1007/s13555-020-00468-7.
  6. Thornton MJ. Estrogens and aging skin. Dermatoendocrinol. 2023;5(2):264-270. doi:10.4161/derm.23872/
  7. Foulc P, et al. Impact of menopause on the skin…information still insufficient. JEADV. 2024;38(1):e29-e31. doi: 10.1111/jdv.19407.
  8. Bravo B, et al. Dermatological Changes during Menopause and HRT: What to Expect? Cosmetics. 2024;11(1);9. doi: 10.3390/cosmetics11010009.
  9. Sculptra®. EU Instructions for Use. 2025. Available online. Accessed January 2026.
  10. Waibel J, et al. Bulk RNA-seq Analysis of Poly-L-Lactic Acid (PLLA-SCA) vs Calcium Hydroxyapatite (CaHA-R) Reveals a Novel, Adipocyte Mediated Regenerative Mechanism of Action Unique to PLLA. Poster presented at ASDS 2024 Annual Meeting; October 17-20, 2024; Orlando, Florida, United States.
  11. Waibel J, et al. Gene Analysis of Biostimulators: PLLA-SCA Triggers Regenerative Morphogenesis while CaHA-R Induces Inflammation upon Facial Injection. Poster presented at ASDS 2024; October 17-20, 2024; Orlando, Florida, United States.
  12. Huth S, et al. Molecular Insights into the effects of PLLA_SCA on Gene Expression and Collagen Synthesis in Human 3D Skin Models Containing Macrophages. J Drugs Dermatol. 2024;23(4):285–288.doi: 10.36849/JDD.7791.
  13. Galderma. Data on File (MA-46589).
  14. Vleggaar D, et al. Consensus recommendations on the use of injectable poly-L-lactic-acid for facial and nonfacial volumization. J Drugs Dermatol. 2014;13(4 Suppl):s44–s51.
  15. Widgegrow J, et al. A randomized, comparative study describing the gene signatures of poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA-SCA) and Calcium Hydroxyapatite (CaHA) in the treatment of nasolabial folds. Poster presented at IMCAS World Congress; February 1-3, 2024. Paris, France.
  16. Duracinsky M, et al. Safety of poly-L-lactic acid (New-Fill®) in the treatment of facial lipoatrophy: a large observational study among HIV-positive patients. BMC Infect Dis. 2014;14(474). doi: 10.1186/1471-2334-14-474.
  17. Edsman K, et al. Gel properties of hyaluronic acid dermal fillers. Dermatol Surg. 2012;38:1170–1179. doi: 10.1111/j.1524-4725.2012.02472.x.
  18. Galderma. Data on file. MA-58650. Degree of modification of HA fillers.
  19. Seo K. Facial volumization with fillers Springer. 2021;29–83. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6212-3_2.
  20. Kablik J et al. Comparative physical properties of hyaluronic acid dermal fillers. Dermatol Surg. 2009:35S(1):302–312. doi: 10.1111/j.1524-4725.2008.01046.x.
  21. Di Gregorio C, Avelar L, Lam S, et al. 25+ years of experience with the Restylane portfolio of injectable HA fillers for facial aesthetic treatment. E-poster presented at AMWC; March 27-29, 2024; Monaco. 
  22. Solish N, et al. Dynamics of HA fillers formulated to maintain natural facial expression. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2019;18(3): 738-746. doi: 10.1111/jocd.12961. 
  23. Philipp‐Dormston WG, et al. Perceived naturalness of facial expression after HA filler injection in nasolabial folds and lower face. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2020;19(7):1600-1606. doi: 10.1111/jocd.13205. 

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