Which menopausal symptoms commonly mimic lichen sclerosus?
Lichen sclerosus can look a lot like several menopause related changes, which is one reason it often gets missed. Here at Alloy, we see this come up pretty often, especially when someone has persistent vulvar itching that doesn’t fully respond to vaginal estrogen.
Based on what we know from our vaginal itching guide and the experts in the videos above, the menopausal symptoms that most closely mimic lichen sclerosus include vaginal dryness, thinning of the vulvar skin, burning, irritation, painful sex, and itching. All of these come from low estrogen and fall under what’s called genitourinary syndrome of menopause.
Dr. Rachel Rubin explains this overlap really nicely in this chapter of her video on lichen sclerosus. It shows how hormonal depletion can look almost identical to early lichen sclerosus and why a good exam matters. You can watch it here: Differentiating from menopausal symptoms.
If you want a refresher on how menopause itself can cause itching, dryness, burning, and irritation, our vaginal itching article walks through it in more detail: Vaginal itching and menopause.
If you are dealing with symptoms like these, vaginal estrogen from our menopause hormone therapy options can be really helpful. You can read more about the estradiol vaginal cream here: Estradiol vaginal cream.
Estradiol Vaginal Cream
$39.99
This answer was created using the following resources:
Treating Lichen Sclerosis and Hormonal Changes | Dr. Rachel Rubin
Your Menopause Questions Answered | Dr. Sharon Malone - Lichen Sclerosus and Estrogen
How Menopause Care is Different for Black Women - Unique Menopausal Symptoms
Are Your Menopause Symptoms Worse than You Expected? What You Can Do
How Perimenopause Affects Your Skin: Dryness, Rosacea & Eczema