Fragile Skin

Fragile Skin

Yes, you’re familiar with the crow’s-feet around your eyes and the subtle skin folds along your neck, but what are these cracks, these flakes, these spots and growths?

They’re all signs that, like the rest of your physical body, your skin is getting a little more fragile as you age. In fact, your skin is likely to become more fragile in several ways. It becomes drier and more wrinkled and also tends to heal more slowly than it did when you were younger. The good news is, there are several things you can do to protect your skin. But first, here’s a look at what causes fragile skin.

“One of the major reasons skin becomes fragile is because it becomes thinner the older you get,” says Arthur K. Balin, M.D., medical director of the Sally Balin Medical Center for Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery in Media, Pennsylvania, and co-author of The Life of the Skin. The top two layers of the skin, the epidermis and dermis, become thinner and contain fewer blood vessels, he says. With the decline in the number of blood vessels and overall quantity of blood flowing to cells, the tissues shrink.

A big contributor to this form of skin aging is the sun. “The sun breaks down capillaries, which reduces the amount of blood getting to tissues,” says Frederic Haberman, M.D., assistant clinical professor of medicine (dermatology) at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City and director of the Haberman Dermatology Institute in Ridgewood, New Jersey. “It also dries out the skin and breaks down the underlying layer. The result is that the sun makes the skin thinner, drier, and more fragile.”

Doctors advise that your best line of defense for protecting and soothing fragile skin is to prevent overexposure to sunlight and, as much as possible, to keep your skin moisturized. It’s also a good idea to support your skin with antioxidants, those immune-boosting and cancer-fighting nutrients in food that prevent the decay of cells and tissues, experts say.

Try This First

Go soak yourself. Once your outer layer of skin becomes thin, it can no longer hold moisture as well as it did during its youth, says Hillard Pearlstein, M.D., assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. So you need to take steps to replenish the moisture. The best way, says Dr. Pearlstein, is to soak in a lukewarm bath for 15 minutes. But don’t overdo it.

Many doctors recommend that people with fragile skin bathe only two or three times per week and use only the mildest soaps. Also, they say, you should avoid hot showers or baths because hot water is more drying than cool. And you should use soap only on odor-producing areas such as the armpits, genitals, and feet; rinse the rest of your body with cool water.

Other Wise Ways

Moisturize twice a day. You should moisturize your skin every morning and evening whether or not you’ve bathed that day. If you apply moisturizer after you’ve bathed, it will help hold the water in. “The moisturizer will not rebuild skin,” Dr. Pearlstein says, “but it will make the skin feel better and offer some protection against further moisture loss.”

Use a moisturizer that contains petroleum jelly or lanolin, advises the American Academy of Dermatology. These are among the best and least irritating of moisturizing ingre dients. If your moisturizer irritates your skin, consult a dermatologist for recommendations.

Try an antioxidant. Many people see an improvement in their skin after daily application of a skin lotion that contains the antioxidant vitamins C and E, says Dr. Haberman. (One brand containing both vitamins is Neutrogena New Hands.) Those who benefit from these topical lotions say the lotions make their skin feel stronger and that they appear to delay some of the damage done by overexposure to sunlight.

Create a daily shield. The sun’s rays attack your skin like piercing arrows. “You have to stay out of harm’s way to protect fragile skin,” advises Dr. Pearlstein. “That protection starts with applying an adequate sunscreen each day, of at least a sun protection factor of 15.”

Cover up, especially in summer. You should never deliberately sunbathe, but always wear a wide-brimmed hat to shade your face and neck, Dr. Pearlstein recommends. Also, wear long sleeves and light trousers. Finally, be sure to put on gloves when you’re gardening, to protect the backs of your hands.

Walk on the shady side of the street. “I tell my patients to walk before 10:00 a.m. and after 4:00 p.m., when the sun’s rays will do less damage to the skin,” Dr. Pearlstein says. “I also tell them to walk on the shady side of the street to avoid the direct rays of the sun.”

Try some acid on your skin. Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) are showing promising signs in the skin’s fight against aging and sun damage, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Some studies suggest that AHAs may reduce wrinkles and improve the skin’s overall appearance. AHAs, which are found in milk, fruit, and sugarcane, are present in many moisturizing creams and lotions. You may see them listed as glycolic acid or lactic acid. You can safely use AHAs at home, notes Dr. Pearlstein. Look for over-the-counter skin preparations containing AHAs. Follow the package directions for usage.