Skin in Later Life
The changes in older skin that affect fragility, healing and infection risk.
Last revised
Key takeaways
- Pressure ulcers: can develop within hours of unrelieved pressure
- Highest-risk sites: heels, sacrum, hips, elbows
- Most useful single change: Use emollients regularly; older skin is drier and more fragile.
- Commonest mistake: Rubbing or massaging reddened pressure areas.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to get help" below apply to you.
Why it matters
Thinner skin tears easily and heals slowly, and pressure damage can develop within hours of immobility.
The numbers, in one place
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Pressure ulcers | can develop within hours of unrelieved pressure |
| Highest-risk sites | heels, sacrum, hips, elbows |
| Skin tears | more common with thin skin and steroid use |
| Emollients | reduce dryness, itch and tearing |
What helps
- Use emollients regularly; older skin is drier and more fragile
- Change position regularly during prolonged sitting or bed rest
- Check heels and the base of the spine daily if mobility is reduced
- Keep skin clean and dry, and manage incontinence promptly
What to avoid
- Rubbing or massaging reddened pressure areas
- Prolonged sitting in one position
- Adhesive dressings directly on fragile skin where avoidable
Where to go next
- Skin in Later Life: A Beginner-Friendly Start
- Skin in Later Life: The Questions People Actually Ask
- Planning Ahead: What the Evidence Actually Says
- Strength and Balance in Later Life: What Published Guidance Supports
When to get help
Seek prompt assessment for any area of skin that stays red after pressure is relieved, any break in the skin over a bony point, or any wound that is not healing. Seek urgent help for spreading redness, warmth, swelling, pus or fever, which suggest infection. Any foot wound in diabetes needs same-day assessment.
Where this comes from
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarised or generalised beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to a GP, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 999.