Solutions to common age-related skin conditions

There are six really common problems associated with ageing skin that almost everyone encounters at some point in their life:

1. Thinning skin and skin tears
2. Growths on the skin such as skin tags and warts
3. Age spots, pigmentation changes and rough patches on the skin
4. Greater sensitivity to the sun 
5. Excessive sweating
6. Dry skin and wrinkles. 

These issues confront over-60s every day and few people are talking about how you can treat, manage or even solve these challenges.  But there is help available. Our team have taken a deeper look at the issues, how they are commonly present and the easy ways to solve or treat them.  

1.  Thinning skin and skin tears. 

Thinning skin is just a reality of ageing.  As we age, alongside the other issues our skin becomes more fragile and more likely to be brittle to knocks and bumps.  

Common solutions for thinning skin

Thinning skin is not reversible, but there are a few important things you can do to manage it: 

1. Moisturise daily with a moisturiser that is deeply penetrating and nourishing.  We have three different suggestions: 
   • Consider Jojoba oil, a natural layer for the skin that is actually a liquid wax rather than an oil, that acts like sebum from the skin. 
   • Moisturiser with vitamin C which has been shown to have healing properties and is available in this very popular botanical range.
   • Try Dermapair, a natural skincare and moisturiser range designed for dry, mature and sun-damaged skin
2. Manage skin tears with bamboo bandages and strips just like a Band-aid but specifically designed especially for thinning skin to not lift layers when removed.  
3. It might also be possible to prevent some age-related thinning of the skin by minimising exposure to UV rays. Consider these UV-covering swimwear and protective sunsmart clothing range. 

2. Growths on the skin such as skin tags and warts

Skin tags are soft, small, hanging pieces of skin that can appear anywhere on the body, but usually where there is friction or creases between skin or clothing.  Commonly found on breasts, thighs, underarms and necks. Skin tags are very common among over-60s usually starting to appear around mid-life. 

Age-related warts (or Seborrhoeic warts) are also very common among over-60s, usually caused by an excess of ordinary skin cells.  They most frequently occur on the stomach, chest and back. Warts can run in families but are not considered infectious. 

Common solutions for skin tags and age-related warts (commonly known as senile warts)

Skin tags and senile warts are commonly removed with these over-the-counter treatments.  

1. Natural skin tag and wart removal treatment
2. Your other option is to see your GP for cryogenic removal 

3. Age spots, pigmentation changes and rough patches on the skin

As you age. Spots and scaly patches appear more commonly on skin that has been exposed to the elements, such as face and hands, but also on shoulders, chest, forearms, neck and upper back.  People with lighter skin are usually more prone to age spots and darker pigmentation changes. Consider the following solutions: 

Common solutions to age spots

1. The best way to get rid of age spots fast is to have laser treatment to remove the layers of discoloured skin. 
2. You could also try Dermapair moisturiser, a range designed for sun-damaged mature skin. 

4. Excessive sweating

Bodies become more prone to sweating as they age and less tolerant to heat.  This is because sweat glands change with age and reduce the body’s ability to cool itself.  

Common solutions to age-related excessive sweating

There is one very popular solution to reduce the inconvenience of excessive sweating which is also an often anxiety-causing issue.  

Neat 3B cream helps prevent perspiration and temporarily protects chaffed skin.  It prevents sweat irritation and chafing between the legs, between the buttocks and beneath the breasts.  It also incorporates an effective antiperspirant in an emollient, soothing cream base for application to areas where skin surfaces rub together and become inflamed. 

5. Dry skin and wrinkles

Most over-60s are no stranger to their wrinkles.  Dry skin and wrinkles of the face are directly interconnected with hydration and skin moisture.  

Solutions for dry skin and wrinkles

Dry skin and wrinkles are usually managed through good skincare practices that do not strip the face of natural oils.  Consider the following steps as worthwhile for minimising your dry skin and related wrinkles: 

1. Washing the face daily with a gentle cleanser
2. Applying a quality moisturiser after washing face that is designed for mature, sun-damaged skin.
3. Staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water.

6. Greater sensitivity to the sun

Damage sustained during youth, along with the natural effects of ageing and can make our skin even more vulnerable to sun damage. Skin cancer (melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers) account for the largest number of cancers diagnosed in Australia each year. In addition to that some people’s skin becomes more sensitive to the sun as we age.  

Solutions to sun sensitivity as you age

Studies have led The Australian Cancer Council to state that one of the  most effective forms of sun protection comes from sun-protective clothing. The appropriate sunsmart clothing absorbs and blocks harmful UV radiation.  

We’ve handpicked a range of sun-smart clothing below to showcase the many modern and stylish ways you can wear more sunsafe clothing. To find out if your clothes are SunSmart, look for a UPF rating. UPF describes both the garment design – how much of your body it covers and its fabric  – how much UV it blocks. A UPF rating of 30 will give you good protection, while  UPF50+ gives you top of the line protection. 

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesn’t take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means it’s not personalised health advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.