Age and Skin

Our skin is a complex organ, that has many functions, including the job of covering and protecting our bodies. (Read about "Skin") The most noticeable thing that happens to our skin, as we get older, is wrinkling. But wrinkles aren't the only skin change brought on by aging. According to the National Institute on Aging (NIA), skin also gets thinner and drier as we age. It sweats less. (Read about "Sweating") It takes longer to heal from cuts.

There are also a number of highly visible changes. According to NIA and the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), some of the signs of aging skin include:

• Pigment changes - There can be mottled hyperpigmentation or uneven discoloration. Melasma or chloasma, in which the skin takes on a darker appearance compared to the surrounding skin, can also develop. (Read about "Melasma/Chloasma") The skin may also take on a sallow or yellow appearance.
• Surface roughness
• Wrinkles - Wrinkles can be fine (they disappear when stretched) or coarse (they don't disappear when stretched)
• Laxity or looseness of the skin
• Benign skin growths - A number of noncancerous skin growths are more common as we age. (Read about "Noncancerous Skin Growths") These include:
  • actinic lentigines - flat growths, commonly called liver or age spots
  • seborrheic keratoses - raised growths, commonly called barnacles
  • dermatofibromas - round, often red bumps under the skin
• Telangiectasia - These dilated blood vessels are often called spider veins.
• Skin cancer - Our risk of developing skin cancer increases as we age, especially if we've had too much sun exposure. (Read about "Skin Cancer")

Many of the changes can't be avoided. But proper skin care can make it easier to cope with the changes, and make a difference not only in how we look, but in how we feel.

Dry skin

Taking too many hot baths and/or using strong soaps can make skin even drier than normal. Taking shorter baths and applying moisturizer right after a bath or shower can help. In fact, that's the best time to apply moisturizer. Moisturizers, applied while skin is still slightly damp, help seal water in. Dry skin can also be helped by a humidifier. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) add that oral hydration is also important. NIH says people should drink lots of fluids, especially water, to keep skin moist and healthy, and to avoid dehydration. (Read about "Dehydration") Remember, though, that diseases or medications can also cause skin to dry out and/or get itchy, so if these steps don't relieve dry, itchy skin, talk to your doctor.

Serious changes

A yearly check-up by your doctor can spot any serious skin problems. But you should also examine your own skin regularly. Any new growths, darkly colored spots or any changes in an existing mole, in its size or color for example, should be reported to your doctor. (Read about "Moles/Nevi")

The American Cancer Society says our risk of developing skin cancer increases as we age. The biggest culprit is sun exposure. People who live in sunny climates, who work outdoors, or who have a family history (Read about "Family Health History") of skin cancer are most at risk, as are fair-skinned individuals and blondes or redheads whose skin freckles or burns easily. According to the American Society of Pathologists, your risk is also higher if you overdo occasional sun exposure - as can happen, for example, when you go away for two weeks every year to the beach. (Read about "Skin Cancer")

In addition to increasing our risk of skin cancer, sun exposure also breaks down the elastin in our skin, causing it to sag. Although we can't undo the damage that's already happened, using proper sunscreen (Read about "Sunscreen") and avoiding excessive sun exposure, especially during the peak burning hours between 10 AM and 3 PM, can help keep skin in better shape, regardless of age.

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