Five Possible Causes for Dry Skin

Dry skin is tight, itchy, and uncomfortable for your senior. Left unchecked, dry skin can cause your senior to scratch, which might create wounds and sores that are difficult to heal. Here’s what might be behind her dry skin.

Home Care Services in Markham: Dry Itchy Skin

Exposure to the Elements

Being outside, especially in cold, windy weather, can be a big problem when it comes to dry skin. The elements can strip skin of its protective layers and that makes moisture loss even faster. When she’s outside, your elderly family member needs to bundle up and make sure that her skin is protected.

Indoor Heating

Cold weather doesn’t just mean that the elements outside are taking a toll on your elderly family member. Indoor heating is doing some damage, too. When the heat is running more often, the air indoors tends to be drier and less comfortable for skin health. Consider running a humidifier or even keeping a pot of water out on a counter. Even something that simple can add back a little moisture to the air.

Not Drinking Enough Water

Drinking enough water can be a challenge for many people. But if your senior isn’t drinking enough fluids, then she’s possibly getting dehydrated. Since the entire body, including your senior’s skin, needs water in order to stay healthy, she needs to be drinking plenty of water. Many people find it easiest to start with a small goal and work up to bigger quantities of water. This is especially true if your elderly family member doesn’t enjoy drinking water.

Smoking

Smoking causes all sorts of health issues internally, but it can also create dry skin for your senior. Oddly, many aging adults aren’t interested in giving up smoking until they realize even the small ways that it can impact their health and well-being. Talk to your senior’s doctor about ways that she can safely quit smoking so that she can start reaping the benefits of being a non-smoker.

Excessive Hand Washing

Hand washing and bathing can strip your senior’s skin of the oils that help to protect it and hold in moisture. If your senior is washing her hands more than usual, try using hand lotion afterward to see if that helps to relieve her dry skin issues. You might also want to consider using lotion on all of her skin after bathing and before bed to help skin recover at night.

Be sure to let elderly care providers know how they can help your senior deal with her dry skin. They can watch for potential issues, such as humidity levels that are too low at home, and help to solve those problems. They can also help her to remember to drink enough water and keep her skin moisturized and protected, especially when she goes outside for any length of time.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home Care Services in Markham, please contact the caring professionals at Staff Relief Health Care 24/7 at (905)-709-1767.