Dry, Itchy Skin Rashes are NOT Pleasant

This image is called
"Stop and Smell the Flowers".

(clicking on the picture links to the photographer's page on Flickr)

Dry skin can be a big problem for your Elder. It's miserable, itchy, flaky, and leaves your Elder wide open for infection. This is not what we want in our ever-constant pursuit of Pleasant Days.

I know, the picture has nothing to do with dry, itchy skin. Just thought it was cute.

The dry skin that affects elders is very much like "winter dry skin" that affects people of all ages when the air becomes very dry. People who have lived through winters where it is very cold and snowy, or in arid deserts know what I'm talking about.

In Elders, the skin very often does not make its own oils any longer, which makes it impossible for the skin to retain any moisture at all. After some time, the skin becomes flaky, inelastic, will become reddened, rashy, itchy. The Elder tends to scratch---this breaks the skin, fissures develop, bacteria invades and then you have a really big problem.

Many times people will seek help from their doctor or dermatologist, most of whom try to treat this condition medically, which will sometimes not help or worsen the problem. Don't get me wrong---many dermatologists are very good, will recognize the problem for what it is and be able to help you. But the idea here is to take care of the aging skin so that it does not become any drier than it has to be, and you don't end up with a miserable Elder needing expensive treatment or worse.

Even with these steps in skin care, you may still notice dryness. But hopefully proper skin care can prevent itching, then scratching, then damage to the skin.

1. Bathing more than twice a week is usually not necessary for your Elder. And then, showers are much better than baths as the skin is in the water for much less time. Use warm, never hot water---hot water will strip precious oils from the skin and cause damage. Keep in mind your Elder may prefer hot water because of aging circulation and peripheral nervous function, s/he may not feel the warmth of the water. You have to try to explain the reasoning behind avoiding use of very hot water. You might try placing a heater in the bathroom for a time before showering so the room is very warm. (Bad for you, but good for your Elder who won't complain so much about bathing). A note here as well about comfort of showering: because of problems with the peripheral nerves, your Elder may complain that the shower spray is painful or uncomfortable---try using a very fine gentle spray. You may even have to go shopping for a new nozzle, but this is well worth the effort if your Elder has this problem; plus it will be much gentler on the old skin.
2. Never use anything but extra moisturizing body wash and shampoos. Generic body washes are OK, but tend to be less moisturing than others. Dove, Caress and the like are good ones. WalMart makes an Equate brand that is very good (it says "extra-moisturizing). Keep in mind shampoos can also be irritating to scalp and skin if they are too harsh.
3. Always apply an extra-moisturizing lotion to the skin that is still warm and damp from the shower. There are plenty to choose from. Some that smell great, some that are hypoallergenic. Just make sure it is very moisturizing.
4. Pat dry with a towel, do not rub. Here again, the bathroom needs to be very warm to encourage air drying of the skin. So, you don't want your Elder to freeze in an unheated bathroom. Just remember---you may feel like you are in a sauna, but this will be more comfortable for your Elder. (unless your Elder has difficulty breathing because of COPD, emphysema or congestive heart failure with fluid on the the lungs).
5. Keep your Elder well hydrated. Skin needs water to stay moist and supple. Many Elders are on the borderline of dehydration because they don't feel thirsty, they don't like to drink too much because then they have to pee too much, and most don't like plain water. You need to have scheduled hydration for these problems. Make sure your Elder drinks with meals, between meals, and a full cup of water minimum with medication. About 1.5 to 2 quarts of fluids a day (half of which should be water or herbal teas) is good, unless the Elder's doctor has said otherwise.
6. A well-balanced diet with 5-6 servings of protein foods (meats, eggs, nuts, legumes); 2-3 servings of milk products (low or non fat milk, hard cheeses, yogurt); 5-6 servings of whole grains; 5-6 servings of fruit and vegetables and use of fats such as olive oil and avocados will provide all the necessary vitamins, minerals and nutrients to keep the skin well nourished and functioning as well as it can.
7. For very, very dry flaky skin, use of a barrier cream might be needed. You can use plain petroleum jelly---a thin layer rubbed into the skin will keep moisture from escaping. Some people will even use Crisco for this.
8. Reapply lotion every day between showers. This is easily accomplished during the "partial bath" on days not showering (you know--face, pits and privates). When the lotion smells wonderful, it can be an enticement to doing this mini-bath. Yeah, I keep going on about how Elders hate to bath---but it's true, many do. Anyway, there is something to be said for "aromatherapy".

So there it is in a "nutshell". I hope this helps, if this has been a problem for you. Just trying to help everyone have more Pleasant Days.