Thinning skin elderly parent

[newcatmam]

Hi all,
My dad is in his 70's but is still very active with his gardening and other hobbies, he has recently started complaining of his skin thinning and tearing easily especially on his arms. I'm wanting to get him some treatment for this, a cream or ointment if possible. Can anyone recommend anything I could get for him to try please?

Watching with interest. I'm on long-term steroids which have the effect of thinning the skin and making it extremely sun- sensitive.

Talk to his pharmacist about getting a good moisturizer (aqueous cream, E45, Aveeno) to help manage any contribution of dry skin and if any medication could be affecting his skin.
Make sure he's up to date with a tetanus booster and that he has good gardening gloves, long sleeved clothes and a wide brimmed hat

Me too. I'm only late 50's but on daily steroids. Only have to have a gentle knock for extensive purple bruising to appear, especially on my arms

Thanks everyone. He has Aveeno and E45 and they are great for moisturising but neither help with the skin thinning unfortunately. He does normally wear long sleeves when gardening and has his PPE so he's as safe as he can be there luckily.

Thinning skin is unfortunately a sign of ageing, and nothing will reverse that, I’m afraid. At 77, my skin has become very thin, and bruises easily, so I just have to be a little more careful, especially when gardening. Emollient creams are excellent for keeping dry skin soft, but won’t do anything for thinning.

@NanTheWiser oh thats such a shame. Thank you for the advice and I hope you continuing gardening for many years to come :)

@newcatmam thank you for your kind thoughts! I hope to continue gardening for as long as I can!

(There are many posts on Gransnet about this problem, it comes to us all in the end!)

As said, it is one of a the many indignities that come with age. The slightest knock makes my 91 year old Mum bruise and the slightest thing tears her skin. The worst thing is that she seems to catch her arms most often (and visibly) and it ends up looking like fingerprints where someone has tried to restrain her or something!

She always wears very soft clothes and long sleeves these days.

My DF has the same problem. You have protective clothing covered, but I'd add a ridiculously well-stocked first aid kit (extra-long self-adhesive dressings, finger-shaped dressings, steri strips, antiseptic spray, sterile gloves etc.). In my experience, Minor Injuries is full of people's coughs and sneezes so for elderly parents I think it's safer to self-treat at home unless stitches are needed, the wound is dirty, it isn't healing etc.

An old-school sunhat is also very useful for protecting his balding head from scratches when gardening.

I've spoken to one of my friends, who is nurse on an older persons ward, and she has given me some tubi grip for his arms for him to wear when out and about to limit the injuries.

My dad always wears a hat no matter where he is, usually a beanie hat, in all weathers too and he has one for night-time dog walks with a light in it. He does like a gadget.