Whether it’s “better ageing”, “down-ageing” or “pro-ageing” – who talks about getting old any more? Our attitude to ageing has changed substantially during the course of human history as a result of our increased life expectancy:

3 – 5 million years ago (start of recording human ages) Hominids 10 – 20 years 100,000 years ago Homo sapiens 30 – 38 years 50,000 years ago Homo sapiens sapiens 40 years 10,000 years ago Humans 40 years (despite switching to plant-based food) 1900 Humans 49 years

During the 20th century, life expectancy rose continuously as a result of improved sanitary measures and medical care. The world population in 2010 will live to an average age of 75. 10 % of them are already over 60. This trend will continue in the future; in 2050, 20 % of the world’s population will probably be older than 60. In addition, the segment of the “oldest old”, i.e. the over-80s, will be the population segment with the strongest growth [1]. The reasons for this demographic trend lie in both the low birth rates of the past, and also in the ageing over the next few years of the high birth rate Baby Boomer generation. After the Second World War, schools and playgrounds were built and teachers were trained in order to create an infrastructure for the exploding birth figures of the Baby Boomer generation. Today, the Baby Boomers of those days are in the process of being transformed into Ageing Boomers, and once again they need a customised infrastructure. The time is coming when we need to act: otherwise there will be consequences not just for medicine generally, but also for dermatology in particular. Itching, chronic dry skin and inflammations are typical symptoms which appear as a result of age-induced damage to the skin barrier. The majority of over65’s suffer from one or two of these symptoms. The cosmetics of the future face the demanding task of alleviating skin problems with appropriate active ingredients and formulations, and thus sustainably increasing the quality of life of the ageing population

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