[Demographic development of the population].

During the last century the median life expectation age was lengthened 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 was and will be increasing dramatically. This has important socio-economic, political and health-economic consequences. The increasing older population has an important impact on Dermatology. The incidence of many skin diseases is increasing with age due to life long exposure (e. g. UV-light), and aging processes are affecting the skin, its functions and immunology. Last not least, the distinction between skin disease and "cosmetic" skin problems has changed in the past 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.