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Major Changes in Skin Function in the Elderly and Their Contributions to Common Clinical Challenges

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Textbook of Aging Skin

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Abstract

The geriatric patient population in dermatology is expected to rise as the elderly population worldwide rapidly increases. By the year 2030, it is estimated that there will be 72.1 million elderly adults. Therefore, it is important to understand the functional skin changes that occur with age and the clinical challenges related to these changes in order to meet the ever-growing geriatric dermatology patient population. This chapter reviews the histological and functional changes that occur with age, including changes in the skin barrier function, immunosenescence, and altered wound healing capacity. Common dermatological challenges that occur because of these functional changes are reviewed.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA

    Jillian Wong Millsop

  2. Department of Dermatology, Stanford University, School of Medicine, Redwood City, CA, USA

    Anne Lynn S. Chang

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  1. Jillian Wong Millsop
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  2. Anne Lynn S. Chang
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Correspondence to Jillian Wong Millsop .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Winton Hill Business Center, The Procter & Gamble Company , Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

    Miranda A. Farage

  2. Margoshes-Miller Consulting, LLC, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

    Kenneth W. Miller

  3. Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA

    Howard I. Maibach

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Millsop, J.W., Chang, A.L.S. (2017). Major Changes in Skin Function in the Elderly and Their Contributions to Common Clinical Challenges. In: Farage, M., Miller, K., Maibach, H. (eds) Textbook of Aging Skin. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-47398-6_111

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-47398-6_111

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