Anatomy of the Skin

When people typically think of the systems and organs in their bodies, many likely think of the internal organs, such as the heart, lungs and liver. However, one of the body's most essential systems lies externally: the skin. As the body's largest organ, the skin has a number of functions, including:

controlling the body's internal temperature
perceiving external stimuli (whether painful or pleasurable) and transmitting the information to the brain
protecting us from a variety of potentially harmful substances
storing essential nutrients (such as fat, vitamins and water) for later use.

Depending on where it is located on the body, skin is different, in order to accommodate the function of that particular region. For example, the skin on bottoms of our feet tends to be thick and durable, protecting the soles of our feet from damage as we walk through various terrains. Alternately, the skin on our eyelids is significantly lighter and thinner, allowing us to detect bright lights through our eyelids.

However, regardless of where skin lies on the body, all skin has the same structure. Skin is comprised of three layers:

Epidermis: This outermost layer of skin is one of the fastest regenerating organs of the body. Because the epidermis is in constant contact with the outside world, it must be able to immediately shed dead skin cells and regenerate new ones if it suffers damage.
Dermis: This middle layer of the skin, which contains a significant amount of collagen, houses the:
- arteries
- hair follicles
- lymph vessels
- sensation receptors (These perceive any external sensation, alerting the brain to pain, pleasure and a number of other sensations.)
- sweat glands
- veins.
Subcutis (subcutaneous layer): As the deepest layer of skin, the subcutis is made up of both fat and collagen cells. Not only does this layer of the skin regulate body temperature, but it also helps absorb the shock of injurious impact, protecting us from possible injury.

In this section, we will discuss the anatomy of the skin. Our articles will describe the skin as an organ, providing you with insight into how to get and maintain healthy skin.

Healthy Skin

Keeping your skin healthy requires you to regularly wash and moisturize your face, as well as protect it from potential sun damage. Similarly, your diet and exercise routines can also affect the health of your skin. Although the idea of maintaining healthy skin may seem time-consuming, with a few tips, you will find it easy to work a healthy skin regimen into your life.

Keep in mind, however, that the techniques you practice and the products you use are individual to your age, gender and a number of other factors. Learning what type of skin you have will help you understand how to get and keep healthy skin.

Facial Skin

Unlike some of the other areas of skin on our bodies, our facial skin is constantly exposed to the elements because there are few times when people actually cover their faces. As a result, our facial skin is always at risk for suffering from damage, such as sun damage. Because the face is one of the key elements of a person's identity, protecting the facial skin is important to staying both physically and mentally healthy.

Maintaining healthy facial skin calls for a variety of steps that you can easily fit into your daily routine. First, set up a cleansing routine with appropriate face wash, toner and moisturizer. The types of products you will need to maintain healthy skin will depend on the exact characteristics of your facial skin.

Resources

University of Maryland Medical Center (n.d.). Dermatology: Anatomy of the Skin. Retrieved October 25, 2007 from the University of Maryland Medical Center Web site: http://www.umm.edu/dermatology-info/anatomy.htm.