About Skin Tears 

Known as Thin Skin, Weak Skin, Fragile Skin or Thinning Skin. Many eldery people naturally suffer from this condition which leads to painful skin tears and difficult to manage wounds - even a slight bump against a low table, a stumble on the staircase, an over-enthusiastic dog can cause the most horrendous leg injury requiring an ambulance call out, a visit to the surgery or hospital and take weeks to heal. Untreated a leg ulcer can rapidly develop.

 

Most of us develop this secondary condition on our lower legs and forearms, this is due to primary medical states such as the long term use of steroids, sun exposure, inflammatory skin disease and advancing years. Thinning skin can be very easily lacerated or torn by just a minor accidental bump against something hard.

 

These very common wounds are known as 'skin tears' or 'skin flaps' and need to be treated professionally and urgently. An ambulance may need to be called for a visit to Accident and Emergency. Repeat treatment will be needed frequently often going on for weeks. These skin tears can easily turn into leg ulcers which can take a year to heal with much inconvenience and pain.

 

Probably the worst result of all from such a minor bump is the loss of confidence; sufferers become very afraid of repeat injury. Moving around the house becomes a risky experience, walking the dog, doing the garden, playing a sport are often avoided with other consequences to our health.