My 75 year old Dad is always bothered by his ITCHY SKIN???????????????????????

he is 75 years old and is in otherwise healthy shape...





the only thing that bothers him is constant dry itchy skin. i have bought him so many different lotions and potions.





do you know of anything that would help him??





thank you!!

My 75 year old Dad is always bothered by his ITCHY SKIN???????????????????????
First and foremost, never use soap on dry skin. Even so-called "moisturizing soap" will dry his skin. Unless he is getting really dirty on a regular basis, he only needs soap for parts of the body that are either oily or sweaty (think face, armpits, and groin). The rest is adequately cleansed with just water.


Second, as soon as he gets out of the bath or shower, have him dry off quickly with a towel, then apply moisturizer before the skin is completely dried by the air. I suggest Eucerine cream as a particularly good brand, although there are stronger ones by prescription (he can ask his doctor about Lac-Hydrin, for example).


Third, have him drink plenty of water: Hydrating the skin from the inside is as important as external moisturizers.


Finally, there are some conditions besides just "dry" skin that could cause what you describe, including eczema, psoriasis, and fungal infections. If the advice above fails, have him see his doctor.


Hope that helps.
Reply:take him to a dermatologist to get a skin test. Its probably something lacking in his diet e.g zinc.
Reply:when he takes a bath try that aveeno that has oatmeal in it for the bath water. it works great. They also have it a lotion also for afterwards.
Reply:rub petroleum jelly on his skin. it can heal the skin and keep it not so dry and itchy.it basically hold in what ever moister he has in his skin so it don't evaporate.
Reply:A lot of older people have problems with dry skin -- as skin ages, it loses some of its ability to moisturize itself and you have to start doing the work for it from the outside! But he should also make sure he's drinking enough water every day (even mild dehydration leads to dry skin), and that he's eating a healthy, well-balanced diet with plenty of the good kinds of fat in it (olive oil, for example).





If he's on any medications, it's possible the dry skin is a side effect of one of them as well. You can look the medications up at http://rxlist.com to see a list of the most common side effects. If it DOES seem like a medication is the source and it's annoying enough to want to do something about it, he can talk to his doctor about options.





Other than that, he just needs to get serious about moisturizing. The best time to do that is right after he gets out of the shower or bath, as you lose a lot of your skin's moisture when you're bathing (and the pores are open then as well, which helps your skin absorb the lotions). There are a lot of types of lotions on the market, so he'll just have to keep trying them until he finds one he likes, or else learn to live with the itching!





It might also be worth seeing a dermotologist about this, as there are prescription moisturizers that might help as well (and the dermotologist could also rule out any other causes, like medications or skin infections or other conditions).





Good luck! You sound like a great kid, trying to take good care of your dad! I hope he appreciates you! :)
Reply:My ex has the same problem theres this stuff called "dead sea salt" not only does it stop the itching it actually heals!