Yang Shuxia, Chief Physician, Department of Dermatology, Peking University First Hospital
Han Jun, Senior Engineer, Fiber and Leather Products Testing Center, Beijing Product Quality Supervision and Inspection Institute
Lei Yan, a reporter of this newspaper
Autumn clothes and autumn pants are the most intimate “guards” for the elderly, suitable materials and styles can not only make people feel more comfortable, but also greatly reduce the probability of skin diseases and reduce the trouble caused by limb incoordination. The elderly in China are generally more frugal, and many people’s autumn clothes and pants are worn out of holes, and they are reluctant to replace them with new ones. It’s almost the New Year, so when preparing gifts for the elderly, you may wish to put some thought into buying them comfortable autumn clothes and pants, which are both warm and practical.
Material: pure cotton breathable without static electricity
Yang Shuxia, chief physician of the Department of Dermatology of Peking University First Hospital, introduced that as the age increases, the skin barrier is inevitably damaged, the repair ability is reduced, and the function of sebaceous glands and sweat glands is also declining, so the skin of the elderly is usually dry and easy to itch. There are also many elderly people with systemic diseases such as diabetes, sometimes sweating a lot, especially under the breasts, armpits, groin and other parts are prone to maceration, infection, etc. When the elderly choose underwear, the material should follow two standards: breathable, not easy to generate static electricity. poor air permeability, which is not conducive to sweat discharge and evaporation, increasing the risk of impregnation infection; Rubbing against dry skin can easily generate static electricity, which can aggravate itching.
Han Jun, senior engineer of the Fiber and Leather Products Testing Center of Beijing Product Quality Supervision and Inspection Institute, introduced that the materials of underwear on the market are varied, in line with the above two characteristics, the preferred material is pure cotton, because cotton is a natural fiber, which is characterized by softness, breathability, good moisture absorption, and not easy to generate static electricity. In addition to cotton clothing, the elderly can also consider lyocell, modal and other synthetic fibers, such fibers are hygroscopic, breathable, soft and not easy to shrink, smooth feeling, is a common material for underwear. Polyester, nylon, acrylic and other materials are not breathable and easy to generate static electricity, so it is not recommended to choose.
When buying underwear, do not be blinded by various fancy names, you should first read the hang tag information, according to the material and proportion of selection. Among them, the underwear marked with GB/T 8878-2014 “cotton knitted underwear” standard has a relatively high cotton content (not less than 50%), which is relatively suitable for the elderly.
Han Jun introduced that many thermal underwear on the market is made of composite sandwich materials, sandwiching a layer of fluffy chemical fiber or ultra-thin film in two layers of ordinary cotton fabric, which plays a warm effect by blocking the heat exchange between the skin and the outside world. This kind of underwear has poor air permeability, and after sweating, urea, salts, etc. in sweat will adhere to the body surface, and if it is not removed in time, it will cause itchy skin. Therefore, the elderly should wear thermal underwear with caution, otherwise it will aggravate the itchy skin.
Style: loose and not tight
The gradual weakening of the climate adaptability of the elderly, the relaxation of tendons, the slowing of movements, and some are accompanied by shoulder and neck pain, make some previously easy movements difficult, such as buttoning buttons, wearing jumpers, etc. The elderly buy autumn clothes and autumn pants, suitable for loose, fitted, simple lines, you can also choose or modify clothing according to their own functions, for example, the elderly who have difficulty lifting on the arm, you can choose the design of the placket and cardigan to avoid pullover styles; Elderly people with less flexible or weak fingers can replace buttons and zippers with Velcro clasps. The elderly should not wear underwear that is too tight, which is not only not conducive to keeping warm, but also affects blood circulation.
Cleaning: wash once every three days, the water temperature does not exceed 30 °C
The label on the garment, that is, the durability mark, will have the material, washing recommendations and precautions of the garment, which can help us maintain the garment correctly. Han Jun said that the clothing of the elderly should be mostly made of cotton, regenerated cellulose fiber (lyocell, modal and so on), and it is recommended to use water washing with a temperature of no more than 30 °C to reduce the damage to the fiber at high temperature to maintain the life of clothing; Secondly, try not to choose dry cleaning. Tetrachloroethylene is usually used during dry cleaning, and if it is not volatilized after washing, it remains on the surface of the garment, and the elderly may cause allergies or itching after wearing. Intimate clothing such as underwear, tank tops, t-shirts and socks should be washed once a day to keep them clean. Intimate autumn clothes autumn pants, pajamas, etc. are recommended to wash once in three days, if not washed for a long time, it will accumulate a large number of microorganisms and dead skin, which is not good for health, of course, when it is cold, the washing cycle can be extended appropriately.
Yang Shuxia said that it is best to add an appropriate amount of softener when washing the clothes of the elderly to increase softness and avoid static electricity. Elderly people with sensitive skin should choose washing products without fragrance. When underwear is hard, deformed, or even cracked or seriously discolored, its warmth, comfort, beauty and other properties have been greatly reduced, and it should be replaced. ▲