Let’s celebrate the skin together!
STRUCTURE, LAYERS, AND FUNCTION.
The skin is the body largest organ, made of water, protein, fats, and minerals.
WHAT ORGAN SYSTEM PROTECTS THE SKIN? THE INTEGUMENTARY SYSTEM.
The integumentary system is the largest organ of the body that forms a physical barrier between the external environment and internal environment, and that is serves to protect and maintain the skin.
What the integumentary system includes? The epidermis, dermis, hypodermis, associated glands, hair, and nails.
SKIN STRUCTURE – EPIDERMIS, DERMIS, HYPODERMIS.
Epidermis – is the outermost layers and is a waterproof barrier that protects the body :
- Against trauma
- Maintaining water and electrolyte balance
- Regulating body temperature
- Sensing painful and pleasant stimuli
- Participating in vitamin D
The skin provides a shield from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation emitted by the sun, environmental stressors and many others problems that appears over time.
Epidermis also is known as stratum corneum and prevents most bacteria, viruses, and other foreign substance from entering the body. Now if we scattered throughout the basal layer of the epidermis, that are cells called melanocyte, which produce the pigment called melanin, one of the main contributors to skin colour. Melanin – it is the primary function that filter out ultraviolet radiation from sunlight, which the long exposure can damage the DNA, and resulting in numerous harmful effects, including skin cancer. Finally, the epidermis contains Langerhans cells which are part of the immune system, and these cells defend the body against infection, and they play a role in the development of skin allergies.
DERMIS
The dermis is a thicker layer of fibrous and elastic tissue. The elastic tissue is mostly made of collagen and a small but important component of elastin.
Elastin is a key extracellular matrix (ECM) protein that provides resilience and elasticity to tissues and organs in the body and skin.
Now if we compare collagen and elastin, elastin is 1000 times more flexible then collagen and that because the main function of elastin is the elasticity of the tissues.
The dermis also includes nerve ending, sweat glands and oil glands (sebaceous glands), hair follicles, and blood vessels
- The nerve endings – sense pain, touch, pressure, and temperature.
- The sweat glands – these glands produce sweat in response to heat and stress.
- The sebaceous glands – these glands secrete sebum; sebum is an oil that keeps the skin moist and soft and acts as a barrier against foreign substances.
- The blood vessels of the dermis – provides nutrients to the skin and help regulate body temperature, heat makes the blood vessels enlarge, allowing large amounts of blood to circulate near the skin surface, where cold makes the blood vessels narrow and retaining the body heat.
Below the dermis lies a layer called Hypodermis (Subcutaneous Tissue) or fat layer and this helps insulate the body from heat and cold, also protecting the body, storing energy and connect the skin to muscles and bones.
UNDERSTAND AND PROTECT YOUR SKIN.
Our skin acts as a protective shield and is most vulnerable to outside elements and deserves to be protected. It’s affected by more factors than you may think, and when considering skincare, you’ll want to be aware of the environment, your daily skincare routine, your health, nutrition, and fitness. Still at the end of the day, a skin care routine involves cleanser, toner, serum, and moisturizer.