Did You Know? Facts About Your Skin. - Page

Our skin is our body’s largest organ, yet many of us do not truly know much about our skin, how our lifestyle affects our skin or how to properly care for our skin. Read the fun facts below from Dr. Asarch and start thinking about your personal skin care habits.

Learn more by visiting www.asarchcenter.com or by ordering a copy of one of Dr. Asarch’s books. 

Did You Know?

• Your skin is an organ- the largest organ in your body.
• If your skin were removed, it would weigh between 7 and 9 pounds and stretch out to about 20 square feet.
• One square inch of skin is packed with 100 oil glands, 15 feet of blood vessels and two kinds of sweat glands.
• Skin has a memory. It keeps track of all of the sun damage that’s accumulated over the years. Even normal, everyday sun exposure can cause lines and wrinkles.
• It takes about an ounce of sunscreen to protect all of your exposed skin from the sun. An ounce of sunscreen is enough to fill up a shot glass.
• You should apply your sunscreen at least 20 minutes before going into the sun so it has time to absorb into your skin.
• Men are less likely to use sunscreen-According to a 2013 study, only 51% of U.S. men reported using sunscreen in the last 12 months.

• There is no safe tanning. Indoor tanning salons predominantly use UVA radiation. Although not as potent as UVB, UVA also has both short-term and long-term effects.

• UVA rays can pass through windows in your car, home or office and chronic exposure can lead to skin aging and damage. UV protective film on your windows keep your interiors UV-free.
• Smoking robs your skin of life-giving oxygen. Nicotine narrows blood vessels and prevents oxygen-carrying blood from circulating through the tiny capillaries in the top layers of the skin.
• Skin heals more slowly as you age. Unfortunately, aging skin repairs itself more slowly than younger skin, taking wounds up to four times longer to heal. Older patients produce fewer cells, and these cells have shorter life spans.

• Many people think “broken” blood vessels on the nose and cheeks are a sign of alcoholism. In reality, facial blood vessels usually become dilated or slightly larger from sun damage, though alcohol abuse and a rich diet can make them worse.

• Aspirin may help prevent Melanoma in post-menopausal women. New research revealed that post-menopausal, white women who regularly took aspirin were 30 percent less likely to develop Melanoma than non-aspirin users.
• Your diet affects your skin. Vegetable oils, margarine, red meats, white bread, or sugary processed foods can cause inflammation and accelerate aging of your skin.
• Foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and Alpha-Linoleic Acid such as avocados, salmon, flaxseed and olive oil can contribute to your skin health, giving you softer, supple skin.
• Sleeping on your back is a good thing. Gravity pulls on your skin during the day. Give your skin a break and make sleeping on your back a nightly habit.