Elderly Skin Care. Why We Should Care!

Let's be honest with ourselves. There comes a time when you realize that you just cannot get down to reach places you previously could. It may be because you have gained weight with age, or developed arthritis, or lost flexibility, or lost vision. In whichever case, you get out of that bath or shower and know that your body is not as clean as you were 10 years ago. You may not care, but as a good and caring podiatrist, I need to respectfully tell you that you need to care! There are so many foot conditions that can be prevented just by taking the steps to make sure you tend to your feet like you do your other more accessible areas.

I see alot of athlete's foot in the elderly. As nice sounding as they made the condition sound, this is a fungal INFECTION! It should not be ignored. Fungal infections can spread to the nails and if it starts on the nails, it can spread to the feet!

Dry skin is also very common in the elderly. What's the big deal about dry skin? Well, dry skin is caused by a decrease in collagen production and cell turnover. This basically means you hold on to the unhealthy skin cells which cannot hold onto moisture. You also loose the flexibilty in the skin provided by collagen. This unfortunate combination makes you prone to cracks in that dry, inflexible skin. Cracks allow bacteria to work their way into these crevices. This can easily turn into cellulitis, a skin infection sometimes requiring admission to a hospital for IV antibiotics! Scary huh!

Another condition I commonly see is a skin reaction called "dermatitis" from irritation to the skin. It can itch, and itching can introduce bactertia into the skin. This can look alot like athlete's foot or dry skin, but the treatment for it is very different. And if not properly treated, it can become chronic and much more difficult to treat.

If you have what you think may have any of these condidtions, it is imperative to be evaluated by your podiatrist to discuss options for treatment. Don't have one? That why we are here! Let us help! If you cannot get to us right away and are now convinced that you no longer want to ignore your feet, here are some things you can do to get your skin in better condition.

You may not be able to see the bottoms of your feet, but you sure can have someone else look at them every once in a while. If you can reach, you can feel them.

Fungal infections in the elderly commonly start in between the toes. You may not know what the term "toe cheese" is. It is the nasty, smelly stuff that comes out from between the toes that are not properly cleansed. It is as bad as it sounds! This term will instantaneously produce an unsightly grimace on the face of the most poised of podiatrist(me included!). And any podiatrist will tell you it is up there with the worst smells on earth! Even though the patient may come to our office for some other foot condition, out of comprehensive care, we clean that stuff out! The patient has no idea how bad it is because they don't see or smell it, but it can wreak havoc on you skin. This stuff is chock full of athletes foot causing fungus and even bacteria! If you suspect this condition, apply a thin coat of anti-fungal cream to your feet after drying them well. Be very sparing about applying the cream between the toes. Make an appointment as soon as you can with your podiatrist!

If you do not have a shower seat, it is a most worth while investment. Have a seat and simply run the edge of a wet soapy wash cloth between you toes during bathing. Then wash the bottoms of your feet. There are many contraptions I have seen in major stores and pharmacies to clean your feet without bending over or trying to bend your feet up to get them clean. They look like soft bristles lying face up from the shower floor. This way you can just rub your feet against them. Either method will keep your feet cleaner than they are now and help keep fungus away.

It is important to get a cream moisturizer on those dry feet (and body) the minute you dry off. Reason for the urgency is that skin can only hold on to moisture for about 3 minutes. It is that moisture you are trying to "trap" into the skin before it has a chance to escape. This will help to help keep skin supple. Ointments such as shea butter and lanolin do an even better job at stopping evaporation of water from the skin. Remember bathing does not dry out your skin. Dryness comes from the neglect of not moisturizing after you bathe. Just take care not to moisturize between your toes. Those area tend to stay too moist. Dry those areas between your toes well.

Help to avoid dematitis irritation by avoiding strong perfumed creams and soaps. Avoid chaffing socks. Stay away from nylons. They should not have been invented! They make your feet sweat and form that irritation and odor causing bacteria! Control sweaty feet! Stay away from shoes made from synthetic man made materials. They are a big culprit to dermatitis.

No more excuses! It really is all about maintanence and prevention from head to toe! It just may save you from another doctor's appointment you need to keep!