8 Most Common Skin Conditions After You Turn 70

1. Seborrheic keratoses (78 percent)

Getty Images

Seborrheic keratoses are noncancerous wart-like growths that often appear on the face, chest, shoulders or back. Typically, they are slightly elevated from the skin surface and appear as waxy brown, black or tan growths. No treatment is necessary, but if a seborrheic keratosis causes irritation, it can be removed by a doctor. Also, see your doctor if you notice suspicious changes in your skin, such as sores or growths that grow rapidly, bleed and don’t heal. These could be signs of skin cancer, according to the Mayo Clinic.

2. Lentigo senilis (69 percent)

Getty Images

Older adults, people with fair skin and people who have spent lots of time in the sun are most prone to lentigo senilis, more commonly known as liver spots. They appear as flat tan, brown or black spots, most often on the face, hands, shoulders and arms. It is important, however, for your doctor to distinguish between an age spot and other conditions such as lentigo maligna, a type of skin cancer. Liver spots are harmless and don’t need treatment. In some cases, prescription creams and procedures can remove them or make them less noticeable, according to the Mayo Clinic.

3. Cherry angiomas (63 percent)

Getty Images

Cherry angiomas are noncancerous skin growths made up of blood vessels that give them a reddish appearance. Also known as senile angiomas or Campbell de Morgan spots, they are fairly common skin growths that vary in size from a pinhead to a quarter inch in diameter and usually show up after age 30. Some cherry angiomas appear smooth and even with your skin, while others appear slightly raised. They can bleed if scratched, rubbed or cut open. Talk to your doctor if you notice any changes in appearance, according to Mount Sinai Health System.

4. Melanocytic nevi (50 percent)

Getty Images

Also known as moles, melanocytic nevi are small, pigmented spots on the skin that usually appear during childhood or adolescence. The number of moles varies by person, from a handful to hundreds. Typically, they have clear-cut edges and are uniform in color. They can darken or enlarge during adolescence or pregnancy. Most moles are harmless, but they can, on rare occasion, become cancerous. So it is important to monitor them and see a dermatologist if they get larger suddenly; develop an irregular border; become darker or inflamed; show spotty color changes; begin to bleed, crack or itch; or become painful, according to Harvard Medical School.

5. Tinea pedis (49 percent)

Getty Images

Tinea pedis, or athlete’s foot, is a common foot infection caused by fungi called dermatophytes that thrive in warm, moist environments. Symptoms include itchy feet; cracked, blistered or peeling skin between the toes; or redness and scaling on the soles. The infection can also spread to the toenails, turning them thick and cloudy yellow. (Onychomycosis, or nail fungus, was found in 29.9 percent of the older adults.) It can take months for athlete’s foot to respond to treatment, and once someone has been exposed, it’s easy for the fungus to return. Over-the-counter antifungal medications are recommended. If those don’t work, talk to your doctor. People with diabetes easily get skin infections, so they should see a doctor as soon as anything unusual appears on their feet, according to Harvard Medical School.

6. Rosacea (26 percent)

Getty Images

More common among fair-skinned women, rosacea causes redness and visible blood vessels, usually on the face. The skin condition can be mistaken for acne, other skin problems or natural ruddiness. It is a relapsing condition, which means there are periods when symptoms are particularly bad and times when they are less severe. The cause is unknown, but it could be due to a combination of hereditary and environmental factors, according to the Mayo Clinic. There’s no specific test for rosacea, but you may need further tests to rule out other conditions with similar symptoms, such as lupus. Creams, gels and oral medications can help reduce spots and redness from rosacea. If you have the condition, the Cleveland Clinic advises that you avoid common triggers such as alcohol, spicy food and stress. The National Institutes of Health also recommends that you use pH-balanced skin cleansers rather than soap, use moisturizers regularly and apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher when out in the sun.

7. Actinic keratosis (22 percent).

Getty Images

This disease is distinguished by a rough, scaly patch of skin that develops slowly from years of sun exposure on the face, lips, ears, back of hands, forearms, scalp and neck. With time the spots or patches may become hard, with a wartlike surface. When an actinic keratosis forms on the lip, it's called actinic cheilitis.

​It's important to identify these growths on your skin, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). They can look like a harmless new age spot, patch of irritated skin or pimple, but a small percentage can turn into a type of skin cancer called squamous cell carcinoma. To see photos of some of the diverse ways actinic keratosis can appear on the skin, visit the AAD website.

8. Asteatotic eczema (21 percent)

Getty Images

This condition, also called xerotic eczema or eczema craquelé occurs when skin becomes abnormally dry, itchy or cracked. It's common among older people and often happens in winter, according to the AAD, especially in colder areas where indoor heating makes the air dry. Frequent bathing, certain medications, irritating soaps and scratchy wool fabrics can make it worse. To help prevent this condition, take short, cool showers with mild, fragrance-free soaps. Applying a petroleum-based lotion within three minutes of bathing can also help. For severe cases, doctors can prescribe a topical steroid. The study found this condition was more common among women.

Editor's note: This story, first published Aug. 11, 2020, has been updated to include new information.