The skin is the body’s primary defence against the external environment, preventing infection and desiccation. Therefore, alterations to skin homeostasis, for example with skin ageing, increase susceptibility to skin disease and injury. Skin biological ageing is uniquely influenced by a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic (primarily photoageing) factors, with differential effects on skin structure and function. Interestingly, skin architecture rapidly changes following the menopause, as a direct result of reduced circulating 17β-estradiol. The traditional clinical benefit of estrogens are supported by recent experimental data, where 17β-estradiol supplementation prevents age-related decline in the skin’s structural and mechanical properties. However, the off-target effects of 17β-estradiol continue to challenge therapeutic application. Here we discuss how ageing alters the physiological and structural properties of the dermal extracellular matrix, and explore how estrogen receptor-targeted therapies may restore the mechanical defects associated with skin ageing.

皮肤是人体抵御外部环境的主要防御设施，可防止感染和干燥。因此，皮肤稳态的改变，例如随着皮肤老化，会增加对皮肤病和损伤的易感性。皮肤生物老化受到内在和外在（主要是光老化）因素的独特影响，对皮肤结构和功能有不同的影响。有趣的是，绝经后皮肤结构迅速变化，这是循环中 17β-雌二醇减少的直接结果。最近的实验数据支持雌激素的传统临床益处，其中 17β-雌二醇补充剂可防止与年龄相关的皮肤结构和机械性能下降。然而，17β-雌二醇的脱靶效应继续挑战治疗应用。