Aging causes many changes in a person’s skin, ranging from wrinkles and sags to increased risk of developing noncancerous or cancerous growths and lesions. Environmental factors (e.g., sun exposure), genetic makeup and poor nutrition are among the agents that cause changes to the skin as a person ages.

Throughout a person’s lifetime, the skin is constantly changing. As people age, the skin begins to lose underlying fat (subcutaneous tissue) and the top two skin layers (dermis and epidermis) become thinner. Fine wrinkles increasingly appear, and the skin dries out and begins to lose elasticity.

The skin often appears thinner, paler and more translucent over time. “Laugh lines” may appear around the mouth, and crow’s feet may appear around the eyes. As gravity takes its toll, the eyelids begin to fall, jowls form and ears grow longer. Areas that are exposed to sun may develop brown patches known as age spots.

In addition, the aging process makes people more susceptible to growths such as warts, skin tags, seborrheic keratoses (benign, gray/brown, rough-surfaced growths) and cherry angiomas (benign skin growths that appear as small, smooth, cherry-red bumps).

It is impossible to prevent all of the changes that occur to the skin as a person ages. However, older individuals can take steps to slow the pace of these changes, or to treat symptoms that result from these changes. These steps include avoiding sun exposure, using moisturizers and emollients, maintaining a healthy diet and taking advantage of medications and procedures that make the skin appear younger.