Effective Preventative Strategies

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In order to implement effective preventative strategies, it is important that healthcare professionals fully understand how the skin changes in relation to the ageing process. These changes increase a person’s risk of developing a skin tear and such risk factors associated with skin tears can be categorised into intrinsic and extrinsic factors. (LeBlanc et al 2008)
Intrinsic Factors
The skin is composed of the epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous layer. (Stephen-Haynes 2012) With ageing the stratum corneum component of the epidermal layer is diminished which leads to thinning of the epidermis. (Bianchi 2012) The loss of collagen and elastin and a reduction of fatty tissue in the subcutaneous layer, leads the skin to become thinner, less flexible