SKIN OF THE ELDERLY

The skin of the elderly needs specific care. On the one hand, over the years the skin lacks the capacity to sufficiently produce lipids and retain moisture. Intensive skin care adapted to the individual skin type is needed in ordert o stabilize the status. Often, intensive itch occurs which can be the result of chronic disorders of the liver and kidney, but also the result of a blistering skin diseases, the bullous pemhigoid. Last not least, seniority is characterized by a typical long-term effect of sun tanning: skin cancer, in particular the non-melanoma skin cancer ("white skin cancer" = basal cell carcinoma and squamaous cell carcinoma). Only if these are recognized in their preliminary phase, surgical procedures can be avoided.