One
of the problems with growing older is that our skin does not work as well. From
the age of 60 the protection function of our skin reduces significantly. The
result of this is that every older person is prone to dry skin. If you add in
the environmental effects of winter such as central heating; moving from hot to
cold temperatures, chilly winds and sitting by open fires, your skin becomes
even drier and begins to itch. Itchy skin means you are likely to scratch,
which in turn causes broken and damaged skin. Dry skin in older people can very
quickly become eczema. Many people suffer from eczema for the first time when
they are older – or to their horror find that their childhood eczema returns
with a vengeance!
So, when you are older, what can you do to prevent dry
skin, particularly in the winter months?
Firstly, try to avoid things that will make your skin dry. Moisturise your skin regularly twice a day,
and keep moisturising if your skin is dry and itchy. If you have eczema or if your
skin is very dry avoid soaps and bubble baths, use emollients to wash with
instead. Long, excessively hot baths can be bad for your skin too, try and take
shorter baths or showers and keep the water at a comfortable temperature. Wrap
up well in the winter; get out your favourite
Christmas jumper and woolly hat to help protect your skin from
the bitter winds. Finally, try to avoid sitting too close to an open fire,
whilst it may nice to feel the roaring heat against your skin, the intensity of
this heat can further damage skin, especially of those with eczema.
If
your skin is dry and uncomfortable, it is important to wear natural fibres,
such as 100% cotton or silk. DreamSkin Health therapeutic silk clothing is
treated with the unique DreamSkin polymer that is designed to reduce moisture
loss from the skin. Therefore, DreamSkin Health garments help the skin to be
more comfortable and less dry, thus reducing itchiness and irritation. DreamSkin
Health has a range of different types of clothing, so a complete layer of
underwear, leggings and long sleeved tops can be worn as underclothing or as
nightwear.
Whilst all these tips are especially useful to people over the age of sixty, anyone, regardless of age, with eczema or dry skin would benefit from following the advice given above.
Wishing
you all a very merry Christmas.
