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February 8, 2012

 

SKIN CONDITIONS

Types

 

Some of the main skin conditions that may occur as we grow older include:

Atopic Dermatitis (Eczema)

The word "dermatitis" means inflammation of the skin. "Atopic" refers to allergic conditions, such as asthma and hay fever. In atopic dermatitis, the skin becomes extremely itchy.

Rosacea

Rosacea is a long-term condition that affects the skin and sometimes the eyes. The disorder is characterized by redness, pimples, and, in advanced stages, thickened skin, especially on the face.

Psoriasis

Psoriasis causes scaling and swelling. Normally, skin cells grow deep in the skin and slowly rise to the surface. This process is called cell turnover, and it takes about a month. With psoriasis, it can happen in just a few days because the cells rise too fast and pile up on the surface.

Dry Skin

Chronic dry skin is the most prominent skin conditions reported to dermatologists. As humidity decreases, chronic dry skin worsens as well. Symptoms of dry skin tend to be more noticeable at night. This is due to a decrease of moisture in the skin.

Intertrigo

Intertrigo is found among the folds of skin and features red, scaling eruptions in the flesh. The conditions can worsen as sweat and moisture increase.

Seborrheic Dermatitis

Seborrheic dermatitis varies in its severity from case to case. This form of dermatitis often flares up and creates a scaling or redness of the scalp, face, chest, and back.

Seborrheic Keratoses

Also known as “the barnacles of life,” seborrheic keratoses are benign scaling, flat-topped, warty growths. The growths can vary from a few in number to hundreds, and can often become irritated or inflamed.

Actinic Keratosis

This condition is present in 80 percent of fair-skinned persons aged 60 or older on sun-exposed areas of the flesh. Actinic keratosis is sun induced pre-cancerous growths that may progress to squamous cell carcinoma (approximately 10 percent.)

Stasis Dermatitis

This condition is caused by poor functioning of the veins in the legs. If not treated, ulceration can occur as the condition worsens.

Ischemic Ulceration

Ischemic ulcerations are common in people with diabetes and tend to appear in the back, leg, and hip areas. These ulcerations appear due to decreased arterial supply to the skin.

Resources/Sources:  

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

www.niams.nih.gov

Cancer.com

G. W. Korting, MD, Geriatric Dermatology, WB Saunders Company, Philadelphia, 1980, pp 2-8.

BE Monk, RAC Graham-Brown, I, Sarkany, Skin Disorders in the Elderly, Blackwell Scientific Publications, London,1988.

B. Gilchrest, MD, Tufts Univ, Skin and Aging Processes, CRC Press, Inc., Florida, 1984, pp 22-28.

Ronald Marks, Univ Wales College of Medicine, Skin Disease in Old Age, Lippincott Co., Philadelphia, 1987, 11-12.

F. Tokewa, S. Hayashi, T. Okumura, Hair and Surfactants