Elderly skin care tips

Elderly skin care tips

There are many problems related with aging. Skin undergoes a number of changes with age. This is also true that early aging depends upon many factors such as lifestyle, diet, your personal habits, stress, facial movements, obesity and heredity.

Sun exposure is one of the most common factors, responsible for skin damage. Ultra violet rays from sun breaks down elastic tissue (elastin) which results in wrinkles, sagging, stretched skin, and blotchy skin, sometimes with pre-cancerous growths and even skin cancer.

Skin changes that accompany aging include:

- Dry, rough skin

- Moles and keratoses.

- Loose skin around cheeks, eyes and jawline.

- Thinned skin.

- Decrease in elasticity of skin.

Common Skin Conditions in the Elderly:

Wrinkles

Wrinkles occur as a result of sun exposure and some other factors which results in loss of skin flexibility. Smokers tend to have more wrinkles than nonsmokers.

Facial movement lines

Also known as laugh lines/worry lines usually occur at the age of 40’s or 50’s.

Dry and itchy skin:

Dry, itchy or flaky skin is a common problem among the elderly , most common cause of dry skin in elderly is loss of sebaceous glands. In some cases dry skin may be a sign of diabetes, kidney disease, or liver disease.

Age spots

Brown patches, those appear on sun-exposed parts of the body.

Bedsores/pressure ulcers

Bed sores usually occur as a result of prolonged sitting and are fairly common disorder in elderly people who have difficulty moving on their own. Diabetic people are more prone to pressure ulcers of their poor circulation. Frequent rotation or re-positioning helps to prevent bedsores.

Elderly skin care tips:

Here are some tips for elderly skin care:

- Avoid sun exposure.

- Wear hat and clothes to cover your open body parts in order to prevent them from direct sun exposure.

- Use sunscreen when outdoors. Sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or more provides the most protection.

- Drink plenty of water to keep your skin hydrated.

- Humidifiers also help to hydrate the skin.

- Avoid bathing frequently because frequent bath can aggravate dry skin.

- Avoid the use of tanning booths and sunlamps.

- Examine yourself regularly for "changing moles" and new growths