Introduction to your largest organ: the skin

The skin is the largest organ of your body. Rarely do we think of it as an organ but it's functions and abilities are wonderful. Without skin, let's face it, we wouldn't be able to contain ourselves, literally! The fact is, it maintains our bodies temperature, it's semi impermeable and it sheds constantly.

Basically our skin renews itself just about every 28 days. Where does it go? Well if you look around you will see it as dust. Anyone that has worn dark nylons on dry skin will see the white skin flakes being rub off through them. 

Before I go any further though, I want to show you the anatomy of the skin. When you see it in it's many layers, you can better understand it. It sweats when we work out or get nervous, it breaks out when we are hormonal and produces hair in very unsightly places where we, gents and ladies, put a lot of money into removing hair.

Skin anatomy

1. Sudoriferous gland (sweat gland)

2. Sebaceous gland (oil gland)

3. Hair follicle (hair cavity)

4. Arrector pili muscles (responsible for goosebumps)

5. Hair

6. Papilla of the hair 

7. Blood vessels

8. Capillaries

9. Sensory nerves

10. Touch receptors

11. Collagen fibers 

The skin has layers within layers. The epidermis is the outermost part of your skin, this part contains 4 layers. The epidermis is in constant shedding, contains no blood vessels, has many nerve endings, produces cells named keratin and is responsible for your skin being waterproof. It is also in these layers of the epidermis that a dark skin pigment called melanin. Melanin is what gives skin it's color and it's role is to protect the sensitive cells underneath it from u.v. rays. Ultraviolent rays are produced from the sun and u.v. lamps, meaning tanning beds. You do not want to compromise the protection melanin gives to our bodies. It has more serious consequences than just sun spots but also melanoma, meaning skin cancer.

Next week I will cover the layer underneath the epidermis, the dermis and it's functions.

How you treat your skin today determines the health of it in the futur. What we usually look at is the outer layer of our skin but health and beauty is really skin deep.  Toes2U is more than just footcare, it's about skin too.