Monday, February 27, 2012

Functions of the skin

Today I will cover what the skin, our largest organ, really does for each and every single one of us when it's healthy.  This information will help you better understand the world of aesthetics later on,  why certain problems may appear with our skin and how it matures later on in life.

The 8 roles of your skin are:

1. The skin provides protection against injury and invasion of bacteria.

2. It prevents the loss of fluids, in other words, it holds every in the body. I imagine we would be not as nice and dry as we are without it. Just a tiny bit juicy we are on the insides!

3. It regulates heat. The internal body temperature is 37 degrees Celcius, when the external temperature changes, the blood and sudoriferous (sweat) glands heat or cool the body to maintain it's internal temperature.

4. It responds to external stimuli, meaning the nerve endings in our skin allow us to respond to stimuli such as heat, cold, pressure, pain and touch.

5. It secretes an oil called sebum that is made in the sebaceous (oil) glands. Sebum is responsible to maintain the moisture in your skin by slowing down the natural moisture of your skin from evaporating and keeping excess water out.

6. It excretes salt and waste from the body through the sudoriferous pores, in other words, that's when we sweat!

7. It absorbs small amounts of cosmetics, drugs and chemicals. For example, the way a nicotine replacement patch function is by absorbing the drug through the skin.

8. It breaths, no word of a lie here, through the pores where oxygen is absorbed and carbon dioxide is expelled.

By taking care of our skin through healthy habits, nutrition, hydration and providing it with protection from harmful uv rays, your skin should love you back for a lifetime.

Remember when your mother told you not to make faces because your face would stay that way? Well there's a lot of truth in that one, so better start smiling once a day in the mirror and to be kind to yourself and it's way better than frowning. Your skin will forever be grateful for it. 

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