Causes

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Lower estrogen levels are the main cause of vaginal dryness. Estrogen is a hormone that helps keep vaginal tissue healthy and moist. Other causes of vaginal dryness include some medical conditions and ways of cleaning the vagina.

Estrogen levels can fall for these reasons:

  1. Breastfeeding
  2. Childbirth
  3. Cigarette smoking
  4. Cancer treatment
  5. Immune disorders
  6. Menopause
  7. Oophorectomy (ovary removal surgery)
  8. Perimenopause (the time before moving into menopause)
  9. Primary ovarian insufficiency, a condition in which the ovaries stop working well before age 40
  10. Use of antiestrogen medicine

Other causes of vaginal dryness include:

  1. Douching, cleaning out the vagina with water or other fluids
  2. Having a vagina that was created by surgery
  3. Sjogren's syndrome
  4. Use of allergy and cold medicines and some antidepressants

Causes shown here are commonly associated with this symptom. Work with your doctor or other health care professional for an accurate diagnosis.

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Feb. 21, 2026

See also

  1. Perimenopause