Objective Ovariectomized rats are the most suitable model for the study of postmenopausal osteoporosis. However, the effect of ovariectomy on rat skin is little studied. The aim of this study was to observe the effect of ovariectomy on the skin aging indexes in rats. Methods 20 healthy 3-month-old female SD rats were randomly divided into sham group and ovariectomized (OVX) group. Serum estradiol was detected at 3 months after ovariectomy, the skin aging-related biochemical indexes such as catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and the content of malondialdehyde (MDA), hydroxyproline (HYP) and lipofuscin (LF) were also detected. The structure of skin tissue was observed and detected using a pathological image analysis system. Results The serum E₂ of OVX rats was significantly lower than that in the sham group, the thickness of epidermis and dermis of OVX group was significantly thinner than that of the sham group (P<0.01), the amount of collagen fibers was decreased and their arrangement was very loose. Compared with the sham group, the activity of CAT, GSH-Px and SOD in the OVX group was significantly decreased (P<0.01), and the content of MDA was significantly increased (P<0.01). The content of HYP in skin tissue was significantly decreased, and LF content was significantly increased (P<0.01) in the OVX group. Conclusions Skin aging can be induced at 3 months after ovariectomy in 3-month old rats, which may be a good model for the study of skin aging in postmenopausal women.