Seniors notably prone to dry skin

Several months ago we were all saying, “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity.” Well now, for me at least, it’s not the cold, it’s the dryness. As I creep into my 50s, I realize, more readily, when precious moisture is being whisked from my skin.

My mother and assorted elder friends have chronic “thumb splitting” syndrome, where the skin on the tip of the thumb splits wide open. I have always had sympathy as these cracks looked and sounded – as I heard frequent complaints – painful.

I was a victim for the first time this year. For a solid month, I winced every time my thumb came in contact with anything. I also became an unofficial expert in the art of staying moisturized, having tried a variety of what I had hoped would be hydrating miracle cures.

Seniors tend to suffer from dry, rough, flaky and itchy skin – because their bodies produce less oil. Hot water and some soaps can add to the problem.

If your dry and itchy skin is becoming unmanageable, see your health care provider as it may be a symptom of diabetes or kidney disease or a side effect of some medications.

However, if you have run-of-the-mill dryness, moisturizing is the word of the day. As you peruse the stores to find your personal favorite, really think about what is important to you in a product, such as texture and scent.

For example, my mother hates anything that takes longer than 30 seconds to sink in. Even expensive creams, silky and fragrant, lovingly purchased by her concerned daughter, get washed off immediately if the allotted time for absorption has passed.

With this in mind, try every sample in the store. If samples aren’t available, say at the supermarket, buy the smallest bottle you can find in case you find later that you don’t like it. Trust me, it happens. I have a graveyard of “not quite right” products for which I initially had high hopes. And ask friends for their favorites.

Ointments are very thick and not likely to sink in anytime soon. They’re fine for spot problems, such as the aforementioned thumb splitting syndrome.

Creams are not as heavy as ointments, but they still may leave skin tacky for a while. Even so, for dry legs there is nothing better. Slather it on, snuggle into your favorite sweatpants and let the cream do its job. Be careful of your feet if you are diabetic, and don’t get cream between your toes as the skin there is very fragile. Ask your doctor for recommendations.

And finally, there are lotions. These do tend to sink in quickly depending on the one you choose, but because they are not as heavy, you will need to reapply them frequently. This being the case, pick one you really love.

While you’re babying your skin, it’s a good time to check it out. Be alert for changes in the size, shape, color or feel of birthmarks, moles and spots. Any change is worth a call to your doctor.

And think about getting a humidifier, which will add moisture to the air and just make you feel better. Because the purchase can be pricey, I bought a child’s vaporizer. It was very inexpensive and is very easy to operate.

This concludes your moisturizing lesson for the season. Have fun shopping for lotions and potions, but a word to the wise – bring a lot of tissues with you. Remember, persistence is the key to curing and preventing thumb splitting syndrome.

Carol Higgins Taylor is director of communications at Eastern Area Agency on Aging. E-mail Higgins Taylor at chtaylor@eaaa.org. For information on EAAA, call 941-2865, toll-free (800) 432-7812, e-mail info@eaaa.org or log on EAAA.org. TTY 992-0150.