S<\/span>kin changes are among the most visible signs of aging, and with good reason. As we age, our skin naturally changes too. It becomes thinner, less oily, and bruises more easily than when we were younger. All of this leads to new skin issues, from dry patches and age spots to bruising, wrinkles, and sagging skin.<\/p>\n Dry skin is perhaps the most common complaint voiced by people of all ages, with symptoms often worsening as they age. The cause of dry skin may be a single underlying condition or a combination of factors, from eczema and psoriasis to allergies, soaps and detergents, and diseases such as diabetes and kidney disease.<\/p>\n Older adults need to recognize that our skin plays an important barrier role for the body in two ways. The skin is the body\u2019s first line of defense against potentially harmful external agents such as bacteria. The skin barrier also works to help maintain a certain moisture level within itself by making different products that promote water retention.<\/p>\n As we age, the body produces less of these products, predisposing the skin to feeling drier. Many moisturizers aim to replace these natural products made by our skin with varying success.<\/p>\n For my patients with dry skin, I emphasize the importance of using creams instead of lotions because lotions tend to contain alcohol, which is drying to the skin. I also encourage patients to use fragrance-free products that tend to be less irritating and avoid abrasive shower tools that can disrupt the skin barrier.<\/p>\n Another common concern I hear from my patients is how easily their skin bruises or how often they develop what dermatologists call senile purpura. Senile purpura appears as red to purple splotches or patches on the skin that often develop after minor trauma.<\/p>\n These areas develop because of the loss of the skin\u2019s underlying tissue, including collagen and fat, which provide support and stability to blood vessels and nerves within our skin. This decrease in supportive tissue allows the small blood vessels in the skin to be damaged with even just a small amount of external pressure leading to leakage of blood into the skin.<\/p>\n Studies estimate that as many as 10% of individuals over the age of 50 may have senile purpura, many of whom may also be on blood thinners, which can exacerbate the issue. Currently, there are no treatments for senile purpura. Minimizing sun exposure by using sunscreens and sun-protective clothing, however, can be helpful to prevent further damage to the skin from the sun.<\/p>\n Finally, skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States. While skin cancer affects a wide range of age groups, the majority of cases occur after the age of 50. The accumulation of sun exposure over decades is one of the key factors in skin cancer development, along with genetic predisposition and environmental exposures, among other things.<\/p>\n Basal cell carcinomas (BCC) are the most common type of skin cancer, followed by squamous cell carcinomas (SCCS) and melanoma. Each skin cancer type can appear differently from person to person, especially melanomas, which are typically brown compared to the pink-to-red color of BCC and SCCs.<\/p>\n Warning signs for new skin cancers may include a non-healing wound, an area of skin that bleeds spontaneously, or a mole that is darker in color in the case of melanomas. If you are concerned that you may have a new skin cancer, be sure to make an appointment with your local board-certified dermatologist to have the area checked.<\/p>\n Other skin conditions \u2013 such as rosacea, asteatotic eczema, and seborrheic dermatitis \u2013 are common among seniors. The real catch for older adults and their families is to understand how susceptible older adults can be to skin issues and keep an extra eye on them, particularly during harsh winter or summer weather. Doing so can lead to early detection and treatment based on each individual\u2019s medical history and needs.<\/p>\n Dermatologist offers tips<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":15821,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[196,198],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15644","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-winter-2025","category-winter-2025-columns"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15644","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15644"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15644\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15927,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15644\/revisions\/15927"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15821"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15644"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15644"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15644"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Dr. Olufolakemi \u201cKemi\u201d Awe, MD, PhD, FAAD. Dr. Awe provides a full range of dermatologic care, including medical, surgical, and cosmetic dermatology services, for her patients at Dermatology Partners<\/a>, a premiere, privately owned, physician-led dermatology group serving patients across the Mid-Atlantic.<\/h5>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"