Last Friday, the support group had a small and cozy turnout with majority of senior ladies interested in better care for their eczema skin. We learnt a few tips from Sister Wong, who shared graciously on her experience on caring for patients’ skin.
1. The skin comprises of epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue. The epidermis is the outer layer of the skin. The thickness of epidermis varies, with the thinnest on the eyelid (of 0.05mm) to the thickest at the soles and palm.
2. Some of the moisturizers aim to replenish the defective skin barrier, for instance, ceramides which make up 40-50% of stratum corneum (outermost layer of epidermis).
3. The dermis also varies in thickness, with the thinnest at the eyelid (of 0.6mm) to 3mm on the back, palm and sole. Collagen fibers make up 70% of the dermis, providing strength and toughness. The other components of dermis are elastic fibers, proteoglycans, blood vessels and sweat glands, nerve fibers and immune cells.
4. The baby skin is different in that their epidermis is 20-30% thinner than the adult. It is thus more easily penetrated by irritants as the skin barrier is not fully developed. Infant skin also absorb and lose moisture more quickly. Therefore, gentle products without irritants (see compiled list here) are a good starting point for product selection.
5. Baby skin is also less able to cope with sweat, thus more susceptible to milia/heat rash.
6. Ageing skin, like baby skin, is also thinner. It is more susceptible to blisters, tears and grazes. Its reduce moisture retention ability leads to dry skin. There is also less elasticity and shows signs of color or texture changes from sun damage.
After learning about the skin, we shared about different products and it was a heartwarming to see many of these senior ladies taking very good care and attention to their skin! Thanks to everyone who helped out and next month’s session would likely be on a Saturday, focusing more on kids. Subscribe to blog post and newsletter to be kept updated!