Protecting Your External Self: Maintaining Healthy Skin
Many individuals argue that beauty is only skin-deep, and that what truly counts is one’s inner qualities. While our inner selves are undoubtedly important, our skin plays a critical role as our primary barrier against the external environment. Moreover, our skin can reveal valuable information about our overall health. Therefore, it’s crucial to know how to properly care for our skin to ensure that it continues to take care of us.
Skin Provides Defense for You
Your body’s skin offers a variety of defences. The skin acts as a barrier to stop germs and other potentially harmful environmental factors from invading the body and endangering human health.
Awareness of Health Issues
The skin has several roles and functions. One of these is to provide nerve endings that enable us to detect heat or sharp objects, allowing us to quickly move away from potential harm. Sweat glands and tiny blood vessels in the skin also help regulate the body’s temperature. Furthermore, skin cells convert sunlight into vitamin D, which is essential for maintaining healthy bones.
Moreover, the skin can serve as an indicator of one’s overall health. For instance, a red rash shaped like a butterfly on the face could be a sign of lupus, while an itchy and red rash may suggest an infection or allergies. A yellow tint in the skin could indicate liver disease, and peculiar or black moles may be a warning sign of skin cancer.
How to Treat Dry Skin
Inadequate fluid intake or prolonged exposure to hot and dry conditions can lead to excessively dry skin. While washing hands frequently is essential for good hygiene, doing it too often, particularly with hot water and harsh soaps, may cause dry skin. To alleviate dry skin, one may use moisturizing creams or lotions, and opt for warm rather than hot water when washing hands or taking a bath. Additionally, to reduce dryness in the air of one’s home, using a humidifier can be considered.
Defending Skin Against Sun
The sun can harm your skin by causing sunburn and accelerating skin aging, which can lead to increased wrinkles as you age. Skin cancer is also strongly linked to exposure to UV radiation from the sun. To protect your skin, it’s important to use sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30, wear protective clothing like hats, and limit your time in the sun during peak hours.
Scientists are currently studying the microbiome of the skin, which includes the various types of bacteria and other small organisms that live on it. While some of these microorganisms can be beneficial and help your body fight off infections and maintain good health, certain types have been associated with specific skin conditions. Researchers are working to better understand how the bacteria differ in individuals with healthy skin versus those with skin problems.
In the future, scientists hope to develop methods to increase the number of beneficial skin microorganisms while decreasing the number of harmful ones.
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