The skin is the biggest organ in the human body. If the skin of an average adult is laid out in one flat piece, it will cover an area of about 18 square feet. A piece of skin the size of a quarter will have many blood vessels, nerves, nerve endings, sweat glands and millions of cells.
The Epidermis and the Dermis
Skin is made up of two layers. The thin outer layer is called the epidermis. The thicker, inner layer is called the dermis. The epidermis keeps germs out of the body. The epidermis is growing all the time. Every day, new skin forms at the bottom of the many layers of thin cells. As it grows, it pushes the old skin to the surface and flakes off when we dry ourselves after washing. If the skin isn’t washed often, the epidermis becomes scaly.
The epidermis contains a coloring substance called melanin. Melanin determines the color of the skin. Dark-skinned people have more melanin than pale-skinned people because of their tropical origins. The melanin protects the skin from burning, so in tropical places, skin has more melanin and is thus darker.
The epidermis and the dermis work together to keep the skin healthy. Oil glands in the dermis provide the oils the epidermis needs to keep its surface moist. Sweat glands in the dermis help the epidermis keep the body temperature constant despite changes in the weather.
Sweat Glands
Underneath the dermis are large numbers of sweat glands which are shaped like long, thin coiled tubes. These sweat glands produce the sweat that seeps out from the body through the tiny holes in the epidermis. These holes are what we call pores.
There are hundreds of sweat glands per square inch of skin scattered over most parts of the body. The biggest concentration of sweat glands is on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet. This is why the palms become damp and sticky when it’s very hot, and why the feet sometimes smell after a few hours of wearing shoes.
The dermis also has many nerves which make the epidermis sensitive to touch. These nerves enable the body to feel the difference between wet and dry, or hot and cold. The nerves also enable the body to enjoy the pleasure of a gentle touch on the skin, and the pain of a pin prick.
The skin is the primary protective organ of the body and if it is injured or if a large portion of it is damaged, the body would die of massive infection or of allergic shock.
Harmful Effects of Antibiotics and Deodorants
The skin secretes antimicrobial substances and sustains a healthy community of natural bacteria. A healthy community of friendly bacteria protects the skin from an invasion of unfriendly microorganisms. One of the potential problems presented by the use of antibiotic treatments and deodorants and anti-perspirants is the disruption of normal functioning of these healthy bacteria, which destroys the skin’s natural defense and paves the way for infections.
How to Treat Skin Diseases
The skin also excretes approximately a quarter of the body’s waste products. Any disruption on the skin's normal functioning thus compromises three other eliminative organs: the kidneys, the lungs and the bowels, which will then be taxed with the burden of eliminating waste products which the skin cannot excrete. As such, any problems in the skin can lead to problems in the other organs. Conversely, any problems in any of the three eliminative organs will also have adverse effects on the skin.
In a growing embryo, the skin develops from the same source as the nervous tissue. So there is also a close relationship between the skin and the nervous system.
The skin thus provides us with clues about the health of the internal organs. Skin diseases should thus be viewed as outer reflections of internal problems and must be treated as such. Rarely, as in the case of bruises and wounds, should the skin be treated in isolation.
