Vaginal Dryness In Menopause | Causes & Solutions

Vaginal dryness is mostly* caused by declining estrogen during menopause, leading to thinner tissues, less lubrication, more pain during penetrative sex, and increased susceptibility to UTIs and infections due to pH changes and reduced “friendly” bacteria.

*There are also other causes and contributing factors; we’ll discuss those too!

Dr. Jennifer Roelands recommends 6 things that we can do about it:

Let’s get down to it

Aside from declining estrogen levels, other contributing factors include smoking, medications like many antihistamines and many antidepressants, as well as using scented soaps or douches which disrupt vaginal pH, the microbiome down there, and tissue health. So it’s good to avoid those where possible, and really, the only ones that may be unavoidable are the medications; everything else, it is best to absolutely skip entirely.

Aside from those things to avoid, here are 6 things to consider doing:

• Lubricants: offer temporary relief during penetrative sex but don’t restore moisture; avoid scented or chemical-laden products (counterintuitively, silicon-based is much better than water-based in this regard).
• Moisturizers: daily use products like Vag of Honor (with hyaluronic acid) help retain moisture and improve tissue health.
• Estrogen therapy: includes vaginal creams (e.g. Estrace), tablets (e.g. Vagifem), rings (e.g. Estring), or compounded formulas tailored to individual needs.
• Vaginal DHEA: improves tissue thickness and may enhance libido by converting to local estrogen and acting on androgen receptors.
• Probiotics: especially strains that support vaginal flora and pH; options with D-mannose and cranberry also support urinary health.
• Vulvar balms: for external dryness or conditions like lichen sclerosus; use simple, scent-free products like Vaseline or even coconut oil.

For more on all of this, enjoy:

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Want to learn more?

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“Why Does It Hurt When I Have Sex?” (And What To Do About It)

Take care!