Older Skin is often itchy skin Robert Grimshaw MD FACP A Lifetime of Quality Care That’s Convenient & Complete

"The Fifty-Year Itch" According to Dr. Laurie Polis, Mt. Sinai & Beth Israel dermatologist, "it’s almost as if when someone turns 50, their skin is likely to become much itchier." She calls this, "the 50-year itch." Why does this occur? Thinning of the epidermis (the top layer of the skin) with age Change in skin oil production Hormonal change Together, these changes cause itching and burning; if you scratch too hard, damage occurs, and an "itch/injury" cycle begins.

The Skin From MH Swartz, Textbook of Physical Diagnosis,1998 p 93 WB Saunders Co.

Older skin is more sensitive to irritants: fabrics, such as wool detergents & bleaches preservatives plastics                                                             

And other factors irritate the skin: low humidity (relative humidity indoors in the winter can be close to zero percent when it’s below freezing outside, since the same air at 70o indoors can hold so much more water. It’s as if you’re in the dessert: skin then has to give up its own water to the very dry indoor air) wind sun low-fat diets sometimes also decrease skin moisture some medications also lower skin moisture

Treatment: Avoid Irritants: Use cotton or a synthetic against your skin instead of wool No fragrance soaps or detergents (there are cleansers such as Aveeno for sensitive skin) Bathe in tepid or lukewarm water only - NO HOT SHOWERS OR BATHS!! Regularly bathe odor-bearing regions only - daily bathing dries out the skin Rinse completely after bathing to remove all soap or detergent Pat lightly to dry off –don’t rub!! After bathing, immediately apply a moisturizing cream (such as Nivea, Eucerin or Alpha-Keri) Topical anti-itch creams (such as Lanacane, others) can sometimes help

If There’s No Relief, We May Be Able to Help: Some medical conditions can cause itch, including certain liver disorders (such as hepatitis C), both low (hypo) and high (hyper) thyroid problems, kidney failure, iron deficiency or iron overload, nerve irritations, allergy, drug reactions, and (fortunately quite rarely) a few malignancies such as lymphoma and multiple myeloma. And skin lesions that keep itching should get checked with a skin specialist (dermatologist).