Skin Info
Skin Information
Skin is a remarkable flexible, waterproof, and tough protective covering for the body. Actually, it is the largest organ in the body covering over 20 square feet if it is stretched out. Normally the surface is smooth with small openings for sweat glands and hair follicles. This cross section of skin shows the major parts. The skin is divided into three layers: the outer layer or epidermis; the middle layer or dermis; and the innermost layer, the fat. Blood vessels, nerves, hair follicles, oil glands and sweat glands are located in the dermis and some extend down into the fat layer.
The major function of the skin is to provide a protective barrier between you and the outside environment. The skin also plays a very important role in regulating your body temperature. The outermost layer of the epidermis is made up of a sheet of dead cells that serves as the major waterproof barrier to the environment. Special cells at the bottom of the epidermis, the melanocytes, produce brown pigment which helps protect you from ultraviolet light. The middle layer, the dermis, provides a tough, flexible foundation for the epidermis. In the dermis, sweat glands and blood vessels help to regulate body temperature, and nerve endings send the sensations of pain, itching, touch, and temperature to the brain. Hair is primarily decorative in humans. The fat under the dermis provides insulation and helps to store calories.
With age, all parts of the skin diminish in size and function. The skin becomes thinner, drier, and more fragile. Pigment cells are less active so that the skin tans less easily. Hair becomes finer, thinner and gray. Sun exposure injures the skin, and skin has a memory. It keeps track of all of the sun damage that has accumulated over the years. The cumulative effects of sun exposure are wrinkling, blotchy pigmentation, and roughness. Sun damaged skin becomes less flexible and more easily bruised. The development of skin cancer increases dramatically with extensive sun exposure.
