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More delicate skin • Caring for cuts • Handling skin tears • Evaluating a burn • Soothing minor burns • Figuring out infections
If you care for an older adult, you’ve probably noticed a difference between their skin and yours — it’s thinner, looser and more delicate.
“Older people’s skin is more prone to cuts, tears, and bruises due to thinning, decreased collagen, and reduced elasticity,” says Shoshana Marmon, M.D., an assistant professor in the department of dermatology at New York Medical College in Valhalla, New York. “As we age, blood vessels become more fragile and bruises form more easily. Also, wounds take longer to heal due to slower cell turnover and reduced blood supply.”
How to care for cuts
While you might feel tentative about handling wounds on delicate older skin, treatment for minor cuts is pretty much the same as it would be for your own skin or your child’s skin, dermatologists say.
Deep cuts, long lacerations and wounds that won’t stop bleeding within a few minutes need medical attention. Call your doctor or go to an emergency room if you are concerned.
But for minor, shallow injuries, start with these first-aid basics.
Clean the cut gently with mild soap and water. If the wound is in a place that is tricky to hold under the tap or you’d like to be extra gentle, try a wound cleanser, such as a gentle saline solution in a spray bottle. You can find these over the counter at drugstores.
Stop any bleeding. Use gauze or tissue and apply gentle pressure to stop bleeding. If your loved one is on blood thinners (even aspirin), it might take a little longer to stop. If you are unable to stop bleeding either call your doctor or go directly to urgent care or an emergency room.
Replace the skin barrier. “You want to put on a nice, thick emollient — something greasy,” says Danilo del Campo, M.D., a dermatologist who sees patients at Chicago Skin Clinic. In most cases, he says, an antibiotic ointment is unnecessary. What you need is a smear of a thick salve — such as petroleum jelly — to create a protective barrier over the wound.
Bandage. Here’s where you might do things a little differently for an older adult than you would for yourself, del Campo says, “In older adults, I opt for [a wound covering] that has a little more pressure to it than just a loose-fitting Band-Aid. At home … just put a little extra piece of tissue, clean napkin or medical gauze underneath the Band-Aid.” This added padding will give the bandage a tighter fit and keep a little pressure on the injury.
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