|
The next time you use the expression “I know it
like the back of my hand,” consider this. One square
inch of your skin is home to:
• 65 hairs
• 100 sebaceous glands
• 78 yards of nerves
• 650 sweat glands
• 19 yards of blood vessels
• 9,500,000 cells
• 1,300 nerve endings
• 20,000 sensory cells
just to name… um… a few. Our body’s
largest organ makes up about 15% of our total weight
and covers 20 square feet. Paper-thin and incredibly
complex, your skin protects you from the perils of
your environment and allows you to feel pain and
pleasure. It’s working to renew itself every
second of every day. So how well do you really know
the back of your hand — or for that matter,
any square inch of your skin?
Introducing The Epidermis
No matter how modest
you are, your epidermis is always showing. It’s
the top layer of your skin, the one you show to the
world — and like
your other organs, it has to work constantly to keep
you alive. The very top layer is actually made up
of dead cells, or corneocytes. This outer layer acts
as your body’s natural suit of armor, protecting
you from the sun, wind and rain. As your skin renews
itself, the dead cells gradually slough off to make
room for new ones, which are forming at the base
of the epidermis. Once the new cells are ready, they
begin to travel up through the epidermal layer, where
they gradually replace the dead cells. If you followed
the progress of one cell, the whole process would
take about a month. But it’s happening constantly — in
fact, in the time it took you to read this, you’ve
probably lost about 40,000 cells. Luckily, 95% of
your epidermis is working to create new cells. The
other 5% are composed of melanocytes, which produce
melanin, the substance that gives your skin its color;
and Langerhan cells, which work with the immune system
to help you fight off disease.
The
delicate dermis. Below
the epidermis is the dermis, which serves as a
foundation for the epidermis
and makes up the principal mass of the skin. This
layer produces collagen, elastin and reticulin, the
substances that lend structure and support to your
largest organ. The dermis also houses nerve endings,
blood vessels, oil glands and sweat glands — the
various engine parts that keep the skin in working
order. Nerve endings allow you to feel the sun on
your face and the sand between your toes; they also
tell you when to put on more sunscreen or get out
of the water because it’s too cold. Sweat glands
help keep your skin cool; oil glands produce sebum,
which keeps your skin soft, pliable and waterproof.
And all the while, blood vessels are working to supply
the skin with the nutrients it needs to keep replenishing
itself, and carry waste products to the lungs for
oxygenation and renewal.
Subcutaneous fat. Contrary to popular belief, not
all fat is bad. The bottom, or subcutaneous, layer
of your skin is composed primarily of fat cells.
The thickness of subcutaneous tissue is determined
by a number of factors, including gender, age,
heredity, hormones and eating habits — while
it’s not healthy to have too much fat, you
need to have some. Why? This part of your skin
acts as an insulator, keeping you warm and protecting
underlying tissue from shocks and bumps. It’s
also the place where your hair begins — each
hair follicle all over your body has its roots
in the subcutaneous layer. These sebaceous follicles
continue up through the dermis, allowing each hair
to deliver sebum to the surface of your skin, so
it stays pliable and protected.
The old saying “beauty is skin deep” carries
a certain amount of truth. Our skin is the part of
us we show to the world. Its appearance reflects
our age, origin, health, and even state of mind.
It has an unbelievable ability to repair itself — but
it’s not invincible. One out of three people
will experience some kind of skin problem during
their lifetime; and nearly everyone gets a pimple
or two at some point. For some, acne can be a serious
problem, persisting well beyond the teenage years
and eventually causing permanent physical and psychological
damage. Do you or someone you care about suffer from
acne? This website is intended to provide the information
necessary to help acne sufferers get the upper hand.
Let’s get started by finding out how acne starts.
|
