Live Longer Better
  • Your journey
    • More About the Optimal Ageing Programme >
      • About Muir Gray
      • Muir Gray's publications
    • Coping with Lockdown
    • Using the right words right; ageing, fitness, disease and beliefs >
      • Bad language about older people
    • The Lockdown Wellbeing Programme >
      • The Daily Mail series
    • the Daily Dozen + 30 for 4S fitness
    • What is happening as we live longer >
      • Your monthly briefing
    • LLL for LLB
    • The environment is tough >
      • Retirement has benefits and risks >
        • Join the Challenge Hub
      • Some people got a better start than others
      • the impact of isolation is now recognised
      • The physical environment is the cause of many problems blamed on ageing
      • Poverty affects too many older people
    • the Living Longer Better Programme >
      • what would a good life in your late 80s be likel
      • What do you fear most and want to avoid
      • Start to write your Living Longer Better Plan
      • Think positive
    • How to reduce your risk of a bad death
    • My diary & daily routine
    • My health record
    • My housing
    • Othercare - Supporting someone else
    • About the OxAP >
      • Muir Gray's Bookshop >
        • The Antidote To Ageing
        • Midlife
        • Sod60!
        • Sod70!
        • Get Moving
        • Eatwell!
        • Dr Gray's Walking Cure
      • Here is the news
  • Get physically better
    • Increase strength, stamina, suppleness and skill >
      • Strength
      • Stamina
      • Skill
      • Suppleness
      • Work hard
      • Brisk walking >
        • Virtual Walking
        • Restart Sport >
          • Restart swimming
          • Restart tennis
          • Restart football
          • Restart cycling
          • Virtual Cycling
      • If you have difficulty walking briskly
      • Join a Gym or Wellness Hub >
        • Meet others for fitness >
          • Silver sneakers
          • Age UK Generation games
          • Join a Gym, Fitness Centre or Wellness Hub
          • Find a personal trainer
      • Find a Trainer
    • Reduce your risk of disease >
      • Eat Well
      • Stop smoking
      • Increase activity - physical, cognitive and emotional
      • Watch the alcohol
      • Accept the offers from the NHS screening programmes
      • We need a revolution
    • Look after your body >
      • Happy and Positive Birthday >
        • Sod 60!
        • Sod70!
        • Sod It! Eat Well
        • Sod Sittin, Get Moving!
      • Skin maintenance
      • Teeth and gum maintenance
      • Feet maintenance
      • Bone, joint and muscle maintenance
      • Bowel maintenance
      • Brain maintenance
      • Mind maintenance
      • Heart maintenance
      • Lung maintenance
      • Waterworks maintenance for men
      • Waterworks maintenance for women
      • See as clearly as possible
      • Keep your Hearing as acute as possible
    • If disease occurs - Optimise Your Healthcare >
      • Living with a common condition >
        • Arthritis
        • Cancer
        • COPD _ Bronchitis
        • Diabetes
        • Dementia
        • Heart disease
        • Parkinson's Disease
        • Stroke
      • Making a big decision >
        • Should i have a hip replacement ?
      • Consequences of common conditions >
        • Loss of status
        • Disability and handicap
        • Isolation
        • Depression
        • Frailty
      • Look out for social as well as drug prescribing >
        • Enjoy Activity Therapy
      • What you can do to help the NHS even more
  • Think better
    • Train your brain ; we now know the brain can get fitter at any age
    • Understanding Dementia & Alzheimer's Disease
    • Reduce your risk of dementia >
      • Stimulate your brain more every year >
        • Learning new skills and build on your assets
        • Get even more engaged
      • Protect your brain >
        • Sleep better
        • Get more active
        • Avoid over medication
        • Control stress levels
        • Air pollution and dementia
      • Keep the oxygen flowing
    • Combat depression
  • Feel better
    • Stay engaged and don't lose your sense of purpose
    • Feel even better by helping other people even more
    • Meet others like you
    • Optimise the Internet >
      • My Virtual Reality
    • Join others for a Daily Service
    • Feel better by visiting Great Places >
      • Visit the great Museums
      • Visit the great libraries
      • Visit a National Trust treasure
    • Feel better through music >
      • Join a concert party
      • Your virtual choir
      • Music for Moving
    • Feel better by reading, listening and watching with other people >
      • Kindling Book Club >
        • Crime
        • Classics
        • Health
      • Audible Book Club
      • Your BBC
      • Your Film Club
    • Feel better by learning new skills and ideas
    • Feel better by joining a club to play games and meet others >
      • Chess Club
      • Bingo club
      • Bridge Club
    • Feel better by supporting nature >
      • Visit the great gardens
    • Feeling Better by Going Down Memory Lane >
      • Sporting memories are powerful
  • Understand better
    • Ageing is a normal biological process
    • From 40 to 90 loss of fitness is serious
    • The effects of disease are often compounded by loss of fitness
    • Negative beliefs and attitudes have a huge impact
    • The importance of planning with purpose
    • The Ageing Brain and the Maturing Mind
    • Strength and Power can always be increased
    • Skill and co-ordination can be improved at any age
    • Stamina can be improved by brisk walking
    • Suppleness can always be improved and stiffness always reduced
    • Activity Therapy is of vital importance

Look after your skin



LOOK AFTER YOUR SKIN, IT'S NEVER TOO LATE 

Your skin has had it tough. if you want know how tough have a look at the on the side of the chest wall , under the upper arm, in the mirror. Even if you sunbathe that skin has been protected pretty well, of course if you have never exposed your upper body to the sun or to the gaze of the others on the beach then anywhere on your chest will show you what protected skin looks like. Most of us have however exposed our skin to the sun whenever we had half a chance and that has created problems. 'Nice tan' , year after year, eventually becomes leathery and increases the wrinkles but its never too late 


What are we talking about?

The skin is obviously the surface layer of your body, which the doctors call that the epidermis, and underneath this is a layer called the dermis, which you can only see when you cut yourself.  The dermis contains the blood vessels and nerves that run to the epidermis or surface of the skin and of course can contain fat as well.  Looking after the skin means looking after both the dermis and the epidermis.

What are the effects of ageing?

Within the skin there are two types of glands deep in the dermis but secreting their fluids onto the service.  One type of gland is the sweat gland the other the sebaceous glands which produce oil and the number of sebaceous glands reduces as we live longer.  Within the dermis there are elastic tissues and these elastic tissues allow for great movement of the skin, for example over the knuckles but as part of ageing the chemical called elastin reduces and this means the skin is less elastic and mobile and this can also contribute to the development of wrinkles.  
 
It is however important to emphasise that many of the effects we assume are to ageing are in fact due to decades of exposure to the sun and the wind, particularly the sun. 
 
Just compare the skin on your stomach with the skin on the back of your hands and you can see the impact of exposure, assuming that your stomach has been exposed to the sun less than your hands.  For our parents and grandparents of course sunbathing and the pursuit of a suntan was much less important, partly because holidays were spent by and large in the glorious British summer.  However with changing habits, and changing culture, tanning became important, forearms, upper arms, back, legs, abdomen, and for those who were committed naturists, everything.  All of this has an impact on the skin

How can you minimise the effects of ageing and living longer

As we have emphasised many of the changes occur due to exposure of the skin so less exposure will mean less damage to the epidermis and dermis. However you can also take action by

  • Using soap less, and
  • Washing with an oil based liquid preparation, and
  • Applying cream to those parts of your skin that are showing the signs, not of age, but of exposure.  Always look for cream that has an oil base rather than a water base. 

How can you reduce the risk of disease?

It is sensible at any age to apply sun cream.  Another important step you can take is to spot disease early and there are two ways to do this.

  • Firstly to look for changes occurring in a mole or large freckle.  If you notice a change in colour or shape of the surface of a mole go and see your GP.

  • Secondly if you notice the surface of your skin breaking down into a little ulcer that does not appear to heal go and see your GP as this maybe an early sign of skin cancer.
 
Both these conditions are treatable, but it is important to diagnose them early.

How can you maintain and increase skin fitness?

For many people skin fitness is adversely affected by the linked problems of obesity and type II diabetes.  If you do develop type II diabetes remember that people with type II diabetes have to take particular care of their skin particularly the skin of their foot and this means no digging about with nail scissors but regular visits to a podiatrist.

Who can help?

The pharmacist is in a good position to advise you on creams that are oil based and there are some very low cost effective creams usually produced by the big pharma companies themselves rather than the branded creams.  Be suspicious of anything that is officially branded ‘anti-ageing’.  For care of skin on the feet the podiatrist is king particularly for a person with type II diabetes
 
The general practitioner is the point of contact if you see a mole or ulcer developing


HOW COULD YOU USE THIS KNOWLEDGE TO ACHIEVE YOUR OWN OBJECTIVES?
  • It is always important to protect your skin from the power of UV light so use sunscreen of at least 30 strength when in the sun for an hour or more 
  • Use an oil based cream daily 
  • Consult any persisting ulcer or mole that is growing to your GP

HOW COULD YOU USE THIS KNOWLEDGE IF YOU ARE SUPPORTING SOMEONE ELSE?

  • encourage them to look after their skin and massage with cream is both comforting and effective 
  • Consult any persisting ulcer or mole that is growing to their GP


 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Proudly powered by Weebly