Wound care for ageing skin

Wound care is so much more intense for the elderly for many reasons. Wounds in the elderly can take up to four times longer to heal than they would in younger persons.

Also, an elderly person’s skin can be as much as 20% thinner than a younger person’s. This means that a cut may often slice deeper than it would in younger skin. Elderly skin is also less supple due to a lack of moisture, which makes it more vulnerable to dryness and cracking. Also, advancing age is believed to change one’s immune response, causing increased susceptibility to infection. Hard-to-heal wounds also cause pain, emotional problems and social isolation.

Studies have proven that, the longer a wound takes to heal, the more it impacts the patient’s and the family’s quality of life. Failure to control issues like pain, excessive drainage and odour can have an extreme psychological impact on the patient and their caregivers, causing them to isolate themselves and not socialise. Each day, thousands of patients are discharged from a hospital stay with slow-healing surgical wounds, injuries from falls, and more. To prevent infections and other serious complications like bleeding and wound separation, getting proper wound management and care is essential.

Scars and wounds

A wound is a physical injury to the body that causes disruption in the body’s structure. An incision from surgery is called a wound. A wound can also be caused by a fall or accident, tumor growth, pressure on bony areas, or the side effects of radiation therapy. Proper care for a wound is important to protect the wound from infection and help it heal. Scars are healed wounds.

Vitamin D cream

Vitamin D ointment is a type of cream used to treat skin rashes, cuts, and burns. This treatment can usually be purchased over-the-counter at most pharmacies, which means a prescription is not necessary.

This product can often be used on small scrapes, cuts, and abrasions to promote healing. Normally, a small amount of this cream can be rubbed on the affected area before being covered with a bandage. Even so, it is not recommended for use on deep cuts or on severe wounds, as it could irritate tender tissues and lead to infection. Vitamin D ointment is generally an easy product to use. It typically produces positive results after a few applications.

Vitamin A cream

Vitamin A, in the form of oral and topical preparations, may be effective in aiding the treatment and prevention of a number of skin disorders. The University of Maryland Medical Center states that vitamin A can be used to treat and heal severe psoriasis or acne, while also being efficient in helping to improve premature aging as a result of the sun, warts and rosacea.

Growing new skin

MedlinePlus says that vitamin A is important for the normal growth, maintenance and health of your skin. Vitamin A helps to grow new skin by aiding in the development of skin cells. It also helps to prevent dry skin by stimulating the production of a natural oil called sebum, which your body manufactures on its own. Sebum is essential for keeping your skin moist and hydrated.

According to Derma Doctor, in addition to acne, vitamin A cream is used to treat oily skin, wrinkles, skin lesions, flat warts, psoriasis and thickened skin.