The right skin care can help your skin feel less dry and irritated.

When we are in our 60s and 70s, there are many changes our skin goes through – but you don’t have to live with these changes.

How skin can change in your 60s and 70s

Everyone’s skin is different, but many people begin to notice the following changes to their skin:

• Drier
• Thinner and starting to look paper-like
• Itchy
• Developing more age spots, wrinkles, and creases
• Blotchier
• Irritated easily
• More susceptible to skin infections
• Bruising more easily
• Sweating less
• Healing more slowly

Here are a few basic skin care alterations recommended by Dr. Gurgen…

Bath Habits that will relieve dry skin. 

·         NO bar soap. Replace it with a gentle, creamy cleanser or emollient. Fragrance-free is best.

·         NO hot showers or baths. Hot water strips away our skin’s natural oils, increasing skin dryness.

·         NO loofa pads or buff puffs. These items can irritate your skin.  

·         Shorten Your shower or bath. When you bathe, keep it around 10-minutes. You also may find that you don’t need a bath every day.

·         Don’t dry off completely. Some water on the skin when you moisturize will help hydrate your skin.

·         Moisturize! A creamy, fragrance-free moisturizer for dry skin applied within 3 minutes of your bath or shower. This helps soothe dryness and restore your skin’s protective moisture barrier.

Use a humidifier – especially in the winter when the air is drier. 
Keep indoor humidity 45-60 percent (can be measured by a hydrometer that you can purchase at the hardware store. 

Wear Gloves for housework and gardening. 

While working in your garden and around your house, your hands can be exposed to harsh chemicals, sunlight, and a variety of things that can dry your skin. As a bonus, when you wear gloves you are less likely to injure your skin as well.

Protect your skin from the sun. 

If you’re seeing wrinkles, age spots, and discolored blotchy skin, you may wonder if protecting your skin from the sun is doing any good. In your 60s and 70s, sun protection still offers many benefits. Proper protection from the sun can prevent new age spots and blotchy skin, reduce dryness and thinning skin, and it can reduce your risk of skin cancer.

For Proper Protection from the sun’s harmful rays you should…

·         Apply Sunscreen every day. We recommend a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher. This should be applied to all skin that will not be completely covered while outside.

·         Sit in the Shade. Sunscreen cannot block 100% of the sun’s harmful rays, so sit in the shade whenever possible.

·         Wear clothing that protects your skin from the sun. Many garments do not protect your skin from the sun. To find out, hold your clothing up to a bright light. If you cannot see light shining through, it can protect your skin from the sun.

Go fragrance free. 

Perfumes, colognes, and skin care products that contain fragrance can dry and irritate your skin.

Visit a dermatologist for skin cancer exams annually. 

At about 50 years old, the danger of skin cancer and pre-cancerous growths begins to rise at an ever-increasing rate. However, when skin cancer is detected early and removed via Mohs Surgery, that will often be the extent of your treatment. However, if the cancer goes undetected and spreads, treatment becomes much more difficult.

Perform Self Examinations Frequently. Some skin cancer can develop quickly. Learning how to examine your skin for signs of skin cancer may lessen your treatment and may even save your life.

When to Seek a Dermatologist’s Help

While the right skin care can improve your skin’s condition, sometimes it is not enough. Certain medications, the stress of surgery, and other health problems can affect your skin. We understand the effects each of these can have on your skin and can create a treatment plan tailored to specifically to your skin’s needs. We can also help when a product you have used for years no longer seems to be working, or to safely treat changes in your aging skin like age spots and wrinkles.

If you are looking for a Dermatologist in The Villages or Leesburg Florida areas, contact Dr. Gurgen for an appointment.