- Aging skin loses some of its protective fatty layer and becomes more fragile. Sensitivities decrease to touch and temperature change, creating added potential for injury. For example, older people are more prone to hypothermia as they have less natural insulation. Aging skin is more easily torn from rubbing and pulling. Blood vessels break easier. Even minor injuries can produce bruises and raised blood collections (hemotomas). The body heals much slower with age, which also adds to infections and pressure ulcers. Less oil is produced from the sebaceous glands with age. While women slow down on oil production after menopause, men start having a small decrease as they enter their 80s.
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Intertrigo disorder is a painful inflammation in the skin folds and skin discoloration. Older people who are obese or have diabetes are more susceptible to this condition. Belly folds, groins, armpits and the breast cleavage are most vulnerable to intertrigo.
Fungal infections are common skin disorders seen in older people. Seniors living in warm climates can develop skin infections because of fungi, such as athlete's foot, which causes skin scaling and itching between the toes. Besides feet, fungal infections are also common in hands and the groin. Intertrigo is a fungal infection with redness and itching pain, as well as an unpleasant odor. Thrush is a fungal infection of the mouth that usually develops from taking antibiotics, corticosteroid inhalers or drugs suppressing the immune system.
Bacterial infections cause skin disorders in aging adults, such as erysipelas and cellulitis. Erysipelas involves small blisters, usually on the face. The skin is red, warm and tender, and accompanied by fever, chills and headaches. Cellulitis is most often seen on an aging person's legs due to poor circulation, trauma, swelling or diabetes.
Contact dermatitis, an allergic skin rash characterized by liquid-filled blisters (vesicles), produces reddish scaly skin. Psoriasis results from too many skin cells growing too fast. Although psoriasis is typically seen in young people, it's also common to adults age 50 and older. Psoriasis involves red patches, covered with a silvery scale.
Rosacea (adult acne) is a chronic condition that usually occurs in fair-skinned people. It causes facial flushing due to anything from sunlight and hot beverages to drugs that make blood vessels widen or relax.
Shingles is an agonizing pain rash, and early symptoms include blisters called vesicles on patches of reddened skin.
Scabies, which are caused by mites, can cause epidemics in nursing homes. Itching is so intense that people can bleed from scratching.
Most skin cancers are a result of too much sunlight exposure. As people age, their odds of getting skin cancers increase. Most skin cancers are due to excessive sunlight exposure. Melanoma is the most dangerous skin cancer, with fair-skinned people more at risk than people with darker skin. - Even though skin ages, you can reduce problems by taking care of your skin. Stay out of direct sunlight, and use sunscreen lotions with a high SPF number. Exercise daily and maintain a healthy diet, and avoid junk and fried foods. Avoiding alcohol and drugs helps aging skin, as well as removing makeup before going to bed.
- Many people think that drinking more water gives skin extra moisture. Although water does help organs function better, it's the natural oils of skin that make it hydrated, not drinking water.
- Next to sun exposure, smoking is ranked second in reasons for causing wrinkles. The amount of cigarettes and number of years you have smoked determine the degree of wrinkles.
