Soaps, antiperspirants, and perfumes, and hot baths can aggravate this condition or cause itching.
Scaly patches of skin and any changes in skin color should be checked by a dermatologist, because they could be signs of basal-cell carcinoma, which can be treated. This malady could be a marker for melanoma, a more serious cancer. A melanoma is a tumor of the skin (which many bleed, darken in color, or itch) that can spread quickly to other body parts. If left untreated, it will be deadly. If caught early, it may be removed surgically, with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Melanomas are caused by chronic sunlight exposure, blistering sunburns, a family history of skin cancer, and frequent exposure in a tanning booth (Lazovich, Vogel, Berwick, Weinstok, Anderson, & Washaw, 2010). U.S. men 65 and older have twice the rate of skin cancers as women (National Cancer Institute, 2010). Regular head-to-toe examinations of the skin should be conducted by a medical professional as a necessary part of any check up.
Women vary greatly in how they respond to looking older. When self-esteem is high, body image is often positive. A woman, who was considered unusually attractive when younger may find it more difficult as she begins to look older, compared with woman who never set great store on her looks. Women who take pride in their looks and who are concerned about looking older seem to experience this concern up to their middle and late sixties (Kite, Stockdale, Whitley & Johnson, 2005). In contrast, middle-age lesbians and women of color tend not to conflate their sense of self-worth with their bodies (Winterich, 2007). In general, compared with women, men have better-looking skin as they age. As men take whiskers from their face each day, they also slough off dead skin cells, leaving a more youthful facial appearance. .
Many women and men in middle adulthood who are at the prime of their professions want to look their best and consider it essential to retain a more youthful appearance.