How The Skin Works

The skin is the largest organ of the human body, and is necessary for our survival. Skin protects all of the nerves, muscles, bones, and other vital organs which would be visible and vulnerable without this organ. The skin also acts as a temperature gauge, reacting to cool the body down when it is too hot, or heating up when necessary.

The skin is a sensitive organ, which absorbs much of the environment around it. If your skin is unhealthy and the pores in your skin become clogged, it can lead to various health and physical problems, not just the immediate beauty concern visible in many people with clogged pores. Clean, healthy skin can go a long way towards not only helping you to age well, but also allowing your body to get rid of toxins more effectively.

There are five main functions of the skin:

1.

Protection. Skin prevents unwanted toxins, micro organisms, and other substances from entering the body. It is our protective barrier against infection and bacteria. This occurs because of the Langerhans cells found in the layers of the dermis. These cells trap invaders and foreign entities from the body.

The skin is also waterproof, due to the Keratin layers in the epidermis. These layers work together with the sebum produced by the skin’s sebaceous glands. The skin also has a substance called Melanocystes, which protects the skin from ultra violet sun rays.

The fingertips and toes are some of the most sensitive areas of the skin. This is important, as the toes are vital to walking and the fingertips have rigid parts to assist in picking up and handling the objects around you. The skin in these areas also contains finger and toe nails to help protect the extremities of these sensitive areas. The same kind of protection is offered to other parts of the body by hair follicles on the skin, such as over the eyes (eyelashes and eyebrows) and the head.

2.

Regulation. The skin is a regulator of your body temperature. Large amounts of extra heat are lost through the skin, especially when we exercise or are exposed to extreme heat. The skin begins to regulate the body temperature by sweating to cool us down.

The normal body temperature is around 37 degrees Celsius, and your core body needs to remain at this temperature for you to function properly. The skin aids in this function.

3.

Elimination. The skin rids the body of waste products and toxins. The skin will excrete excess salt and waste through the sweat we produce. .

4.

Sensation. The skin allows us to feel our environment. It gives us a sense of touch so that we can feel extremes in temperature, and recognize heat, cold, or pain. The skin has nerve endings that help us to feel our surrounding environment.

5.

Nutrition. The skin is the body’s most important organ in the absorption of vitamin D from sunlight, which it synthesizes in order to allow us to more readily absorb and use calcium and phosphate.

These are the main reasons for you to take care of your skin, as no other organ will be able to perform these functions.

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