Written by: Rebecca Webb, PharmD Pharmacy Clinical Services Manager

July is the perfect time to raise awareness and learn more about skin health.  You know your skin is important.  You take steps to clean and protect it every day.  Yet have you ever wondered, what is skin exactly?  Why do you even have skin in the first place?  What purpose does it serve?  What steps can you take to make your skin healthier?  These are essential questions to ask in understanding skin health better and promoting the importance of your skin.

 

What is your skin?

Your skin is your body’s largest and heaviest organ.  It accounts for about 15% of your body weight and is roughly 22 square feet for the average adult.  It is approximately 2 millimeters thick, depending upon the location on your body (e.g., it is thicker on the soles of your feet and thinner on your eyelids).  

Your skin is divided into three distinct layers: the epidermis (i.e., the top layer), the dermis (i.e., the middle layer), and the hypodermis (i.e., the bottom layer).  Each of these layers is specialized for specific functions.  The epidermis is the thin, tough, outer later.  It contains the pigment melanin, which contributes to skin color and filters out ultraviolet radiation from the sun.  The dermis is the thickest layer and contains nerve endings, sweat glands, oil glands, hair follicles, and blood vessels.  Collagen (i.e., gives skin tensile strength) and elastin (i.e., gives skin flexibility) can also be found in this layer of skin.  The hypodermis is the fatty layer that helps cushion and insulate your body.  

 

What is the purpose of your skin?

Your skin serves many roles including:

• Providing physical protection against your external environment (e.g., infections, heat, injuries, the sun’s harmful ultraviolet/UV rays). 

• Regulating your body temperature.

• Maintaining water and electrolyte balance.

• Storing water and fat. 

• Helping you to feel sensations, such as pain, heat, cold, and touch.  

• Assisting your body in the production of vitamin D.

 

What issues can affect your skin?

Due to being your body’s first line of defense, your skin is at risk for various conditions and disorders.  These can include rashes, scrapes, blisters, burns, bug bites, infections, acne, eczema, psoriasis, and even more serious issues such as skin cancer, which is the most common cancer in the United States.  If you have questions about any of these conditions and/or their corresponding treatments, talk to one of our Food City Pharmacists.  Our pharmacists have a wealth of knowledge on skin-related issues, can recommend over-the-counter treatments for minor skin issues, and can assist you with your prescription medication needs.  

 

Steps to healthy skin

Take care of your skin, so it can continue to take care of you.  Steps to healthy skin include:

• Keeping a sensible cleansing/washing routine.  Bathe in warm, not hot, water and keep showers/baths short in duration.  This will help retain your skin’s natural oils and prevent it from becoming dry.  Also, wash your face upon waking, before bedtime, and after sweating.  Scrubbing irritates your skin and can worsen existing skin conditions, so simply wash it gently.  Moisturize after cleansing to avoid dry skin.  

• Limiting the sun’s harmful exposure.  The sun can cause wrinkles, age spots, and increases your risk of skin cancer.  Apply a broad-spectrum (i.e., protects against UVA and UVB rays), water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 every day.  Reapply sunscreen often and remember to check the expiration date.  Also, utilize protective clothing/gear and avoid being outside during the times of day when the sun’s rays are most intense (10 AM to 4 PM).  Do not use tanning beds or sunlamps, as they give off the same damaging UV radiation.  

• Regularly self-examining your skin for unusual spots or changes.  This is imperative for the early detection and treatment of skin cancer and other skin diseases.  When performing your self-exam, remember your “ABCDEs.”  A is for asymmetry (i.e., one half is unlike the other half).  B is for border (i.e., irregular or poorly defined).  C is for color (i.e., variation).  D is for diameter (i.e., greater than the size of a pencil eraser).  E is for evolving (i.e., changing in size, shape, or having symptoms, such as itching or bleeding).  

• Drinking plenty of fluids for your skin to stay hydrated. 

• Reducing stress.  Stress can make your skin more sensitive and exacerbate some skin conditions. 

• Obtaining an adequate amount of quality sleep. 

• Not smoking.  Smoking speeds up the skin’s aging process and causes wrinkles.  It also damages collagen and elastin, affecting your skin’s strength and flexibility.  In addition, smoking decreases blood flow making your skin appear paler.  Furthermore, smoking can worsen certain skin diseases.  

• Talking to your primary care physician or dermatologist if you notice any unusual changes to your skin. 

 

_References:

_{1. American Academy of Dermatology Association (AAD) website. https://www.aad.org/public.  Accessed June 14, 2024.}  

_{2. Skin. Cleveland clinic website. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/10978-skin. Accessed June 13, 2024.}