If your skin looks good, it’s more than likely that you do. But if it doesn’t, don’t see it as a tragedy, rather see it as a challenge.
Anyone’s skin can be improved, sometimes astonishingly, given time and regular well-informed skin care routine with tailored formulations.
And once you have a thorough working knowledge of it’s structure and functions, you will be well equipped to cope with it’s mood and problems.
Skin is not a simple protective covering, but it’s, also, just as much one of your body’s working essential organs like the heart, lungs, liver and kidneys. And far more important and varied functions –as protecting the internal tissues from dehydration. And damage is just the beginning.
.Your skin helps to prevent bacteria from getting in freely and spreading. Also to let unwanted waste like water. Minerals and salts get out via sweat. It gives an early warnings against possible problems. Example; some one whose nervous system doesn’t react quickly to outside stimuli is in great danger from burns and abrasions.
.Skin helps regulate body temperature in more than one way. To cool down in hot weather you sweat and the blood vessels near the skin’s surface dilate, turning the skin red. On a cold day you will turn pale as these tiny blood vessels contract to conserve warmth
.Skin does a great job of self-healing after minor injuries, and battles valiantly with major ones. This kind of versatility could not be possible from anything but a very complex structure, and skin is certainly that.
THICKNESS OF THE SKIN:
This varies from hard- working areas like palms of our hands and soles of our feet to the less active ones like inner wrists and eyelids, where flexibility is more important than toughness.
The Skin Layers;
There are two main layers, the Dermis and Epidermis, and an under-layer of fat cells. This cushion of fat only affects the skin’s behavior by stretching it if you gain weight rapidly. Likewise a rapid weight loss will leave the skin loose .
What happens in the Dermis :
This lies above the fatty cushion and is the skin’s thicker layer . This is the location for the blood vessels that carry nutrients– Protein, Fats, Vitamins and Minerals– to the skin and take away waste matters. They also, give the skin it’s light/ pink coloured. The closest your blood vessels are to the surface, the rosier your complexion. Competing for the space are the Nerve endings hair follicles and the glands that produce sweat and oils– Sebum. Sebum lubricates the skin and hair. If the supplies are too generous or too small, don’t blame the sebaceous gland or your diet. This oil production is mostly governed by your hormones . Sebum flows directly from each gland to it’s local hair follicles via a short duct. Some follicles , especially , in the acne prone areas of the cheek, forehead and upper back are fed by an extra–large gland, but produce only rudimentary hairs, if any.
The Sweat Glands:
These secret water, salts, and some chemicals. They, also, help regulate temperature and keep the outer layers pliable. This Exocrine sweat is produced over most of the body area. It evaporates into the atmosphere cooling the body.
Apocrine sweat is produced by glands which as with sebaceous glands, are connected to the hair follicles in areas, such as the underarms, face, around the nipples and genital area. They respond to emotional stimuli such as fear, anxiety and embarrassment, as well as to raised temperature.
The Dermis ;
itself through which all these ducts, follicles and blood vessels thread their way is a mass of fibrous connective tissue. About 75% of this is collagen– a strong protein which also occurs in tendons, cartilage and bone.