Ever wondered what is skin made of? How does it protect our bodies? What are its main functions? And how bad skin damage can be for our overall health?
Yes, our skin is the largest organ of our body – covering a whole area of around twenty square feet. Hence, it is highly crucial for a variety of reasons. For instance, our skin’s fundamental role is being a protector. It protects and covers everything within our body, which includes our bones, blood vessels, internal organs, muscles, and nerves. If you want to know how to avoid from getting skin damage then have a look at this guide.
Imagine if we haven’t any skin. We’d have organs and muscles leaping out, moving about, and dropping all over the place. Such a total mess! Well, thanks to our skin. All of those things are properly keep inside to ensure they will be functioning well.
While soft, it enables movement as well as sturdy enough to resist tearing or breaking. The skin makes use of a multi-layered system of cushioning, protective coils, and cellular barriers to protect the internal organs against the environment.
Layers of the Skin
The skin is made up of three layers, namely the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis or subcutaneous fat layer. Each has a different job. Find them out below!
Epidermis:
The skin’s thin outer layer which we touch and see. It aims to give skin its color, produce new skin cells, as well as protect the body from bacteria, fluids loss, and toxins. It comprises of numerous sheets of cells. New cells are pushed up to replace those old, dead ones. The epidermis contains three types of cells: (1) squamous cells; (2) basal cells which can be found under the squamous cells; and (3) melanocytes which generate and give the skin its color.
Dermis:
The skin’s middle layer and is made up of protein fibers (collagen) and elastic fibers (elastin). It gives our skin strength and flexibility. Aside from touch and pain receptors, the dermis also contains blood and lymph vessels, sweat glands, fibroblasts, hair follicles, nerves, sebaceous glands, and collagen bundles. The role of the dermis includes providing blood and sensations to the skin, fighting infection, growing hair, and making oil and sweat. It is mainly connective tissue and protects the human body from strain and stress.
Hypodermis/Subcutaneous Fat Layer:
The skin’s deepest layer. The hypodermis is made of connecting tissue and fat, though most of the layer is made up of fatty tissue. This keeps the body from cold and heat. Moreover, it serves as fat energy storage. This fat gives cushioning to buffer bones, muscles, and internal organs as well as protect the human body from injuries. You can learn more here!
Skin Functions
Skin is considered as a versatile organ our body has. Following are its different functions:
Environment protection: The most essential, of the skin. It keeps pathogens like bacteria out of the tissue. It acts as a heavy obstruction between the organism and its environment. In other words, it protects from skin damage.
Temperature regulation: Skin contracts the vascular system within the dermis to preserve water and sweat to cool the body. This is an excellent way to get protection from skin damage.
Prevent water loss: Just like other land animals, humans tend to lose a few amounts of water due to their thick skins. Your skin becomes thicker when you’re in a desert area to avoid loss of water.
Allow for sensation. Unquestionably, you cannot imagine life without being capable of feeling the sun’s warmth or touching things around you. While our nose and eyes enable us to smell and see, it is our skin that allows us to feel almost anything – from cold, heat, and texture to pleasure. Hence, we properly respond to the environment.
Aside from the functions mentioned above, skin also prevents the entry of bacteria and helps to produce vitamin D when exposed to the sun. You should not stay too long in the sun because getting skin damage or skin cancer is highly possible, though. This is true especially during sunny days where your clock ranges from ten in the morning and four in the afternoon.
What Happens if Your Skin is Damaged?
When distributed, the disturbed, the healthy look, and protective function of the natural barrier of your skin get compromised.
- Feels and gets rough, dry, saggy, and cracked
- Loses elasticity and moisture
- Becomes increasingly sensitive to the temperature changes, sun, or other external influences
- Becomes susceptible to infection
Common Skin Diseases
Similar to different body organs, the skin is also prone to certain diseases including:
Acne: occurs when the hair follicles are choked with oil and dead skin cells.
Dermatitis: a skin inflammation that can be triggered by various reasons.
Warts: are benign skin growths usually caused by a virus.
Fungal Infections: an example is ringworm or athlete’s foot (also known as tinea).
Melanoma: considered as the riskiest type of skin cancer, typically caused by sun damage.
Rash: refers to any change in the appearance of skin. Some rashes are due to medical conditions, while others are from simple skin conditions.
Dandruff: might be as a result of eczema, seborrheic dermatitis, or psoriasis.
Sunburn: a radiation burn from the ultraviolet rays of the sun.
Skin Cancer: aside from melanoma, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma are among the most common type of skin cancer.
Hives: commonly caused an allergic reaction. You may notice red, itchy, raised patches on your skin.
Keep Your Skin Always Clean!
Well, who doesn’t want to have beautiful skin? It doesn’t only contribute to an excellent physical appearance, but your inner health as well. So, it makes sense to always practice good hygiene to keep it in tip-top shape. Use a mild soap and water when washing your skin. If you have cuts or scrapes, gently cover it with a bandage or gauze to avoid infections and keep the dirt.
Also, make sure to provide the daily demand of your skin, such as drinking plenty of waters regularly, moisturizing, having balanced nutrition, and applying sun protection. Wearing sunscreen is highly necessary and vital to protect your skin from harmful UVB and UVA rays. Opt for a sunscreen with SPF 30 or even higher to fight against wrinkles, sun damage, and skin cancers.