[Demographic changes in Germany. Consequences in health policy and dermatology]

During the last century the median life expectancy increased by about 30 years in Germany. According to recent prognoses, this trend will continue over the next decades. Not only the number of people older than 60 years but also its percentage within the population has and will continue to increase dramatically. This has important socio-economic, political and health-economic consequences. The increasingly older population has an important impact on dermatology. The incidence of many skin diseases increases with age because of long-term exposure to exogenous factors such as UV irradiation. Aging processes especially affect the skin. Last not least, the distinction between skin disease and "cosmetic" skin problems has changed in the last decades in our society. Even a small reduction in the threshold of what the public and health professionals regard as a skin complaint worthy of medical attention could lead to a large increase in future dermatology service requirements. The demographic changes in our society are becoming an important issue in dermatological health care research.