Managing Dry Skin for Seniors
Seniors face a variety of challenges with their skin as they grow older. They may bruise more easily and have more trouble keeping their skin from feeling dry and irritated. Ignoring dry skin isn’t the answer, so seniors might need a new routine to stay on top of their skin health and keep it feeling great. Home care providers can offer aging adults the support they need with skincare and other challenges that come up as they age in place.
Why Do Seniors Experience Dry Skin?
Senior skin naturally produces less oil, which means it has a tougher time retaining the moisture it needs to stay healthy. This quickly leads to dryness and other symptoms, like cracking, peeling, and irritation.
Senior skin also thins over time, which means that it’s more fragile. Dietary issues, hormonal changes, and habits like taking hot showers can all contribute even more to dry skin. Taking all these factors into account can help seniors address dry skin.
Cleaning Senior Skin
Keeping senior skin clean is a big part of helping it stay healthy. Older skin doesn’t need many ingredients, like fragrances, to stay healthy, either. In fact, the fewer ingredients in skin cleansers for aging adults, the better. Mild, fragrance-free soaps and bath gels are less likely to cause irritation.
Cooler water during showers and using gentle bathing techniques also helps. Home care providers can be there to support seniors in the shower if they have balance issues or need extra assistance.
Lotion Is a Must
Lots of people skip lotion or moisturizer after a shower because they just don’t feel as if they need it. For seniors, lotion is a must after a shower. Applying a gentle, fragrance-free moisturizer all over their body after bathing helps lock in the moisture aging skin needs.
Humectants like glycerin are a great choice for ingredients because they help to keep moisture close to the skin.
Lifestyle Changes That Help
Seniors often struggle to get the hydration they need every day for a variety of reasons. But that extra bit of water helps keep all their systems and organs functioning well, including their skin.
The skin is the largest organ of the body, and if seniors aren’t properly hydrated, it’s tougher for their skin to avoid feeling dry and irritated. Staying out of the sun can also help to keep senior skin healthy and happy.
Laundry Management
As seniors get older, they might find that other habits that didn’t affect them much now have quite an impact. Choosing gentle laundry detergents without dyes or fragrances can help seniors avoid excessively drying their skin. Switching to breathable clothing, including natural fabrics like cotton, is less likely to irritate the skin, too.
Adding another rinse cycle with every wash helps to remove all of the detergent, and home care providers can help seniors manage laundry issues easily.
Paying attention to some of these smaller details can help seniors to avoid discomfort from dry skin as they continue to age. Home care providers can offer support across many areas of life, helping seniors stay comfortable and happy as they age in place.
If you or someone you know needs help with Home Care in Lowell, MI, contact Gauthier Family Home Care. We provide quality and affordable home care services in our community. Call us at (616) 560-4057 for more information.
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