Why Skin Health Matters
Did you know that your skin is your body’s largest organ?
It serves many different roles and purposes, the most important being to protect your body from external dangers such as bacteria, chemicals, foreign objects, dirt, temperature or UV rays from the sun.
The nerves in your skin also give your brain important information about things you come into contact with. Is an object hot, cold, soft, hard, blunt or sharp? The knowledge gathered by your skin can quite literally be lifesaving.
And that’s not all. Your skin plays a key role in regulating your body fluids and temperature. It can help to prevent excess fluid loss but also remove excess water and salt. In addition, it’s your first defence against disease and infection, and even protects your internal organs from injury.
With so much work to do, your skin needs care and attention to ensure that it’s as healthy as possible.
Understanding the structure of your skin
You might find it helpful to understand a bit more about the structure of healthy skin and why each element is important.
Your skin has three main layers:
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The Epidermis is the outermost layer and is about the thickness of a piece of paper; it’s this layer that creates our skin tone and acts as the first line of defence against external threats.
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The middle layer is the dermis, which contains connective tissue, blood vessels, nerves, hair follicles, sebaceous (oil) glands and sweat glands. These all play a crucial role in regulating the temperature of your skin and body.
The thickness of the dermis depends on where the skin is on your body (your eyelids are thin and delicate, whereas the dermis on your back can be up to half an inch thick!)
You’ve probably heard of collagen and elastin as they’re key ingredients of many skin and facial aesthetic treatments. Both of these are proteins found in the dermis that provide support and elasticity to the skin. Factors such as ageing or exposure to the sun’s UV rays break down these proteins, causing the skin to begin to wrinkle and lose its youthful firmness.
The tissue fibres in the dermis are embedded in a gel-like substance containing hyaluronic acid, which helps the skin maintain its volume and stay hydrated – aesthetic treatments such as dermal fillers and Profhilo harness the benefits of hyaluronic acid.
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Beneath this is the hypodermis (aka the subcutaneous layer), which contains a layer of fatty tissue that nourishes the dermis and epidermis. This insulating layer also helps to conserve your body heat and protect your internal organs from trauma.
Within The Epidermis
There are important sub-layers within the epidermis and these each play an important role in keeping you safe and healthy.
Let’s have a look from top to bottom.
A. The stratum corneum is the uppermost surface of your skin and the first barrier between the inner workings of your body and the outside world. It is composed mainly of a protein called keratin and lipids (fats), as well as closely packed dead cells.
This layer plays a vital role in keeping your skin strong and well hydrated.
B. Next comes the stratum granulosum. There’s a lot of activity in this layer as keratin proteins and lipids work together to create many of the cells in your skin’s protective barrier.
C. Beneath this comes the stratum spinosum (aka the squamous cell layer), which produces keratin, the fibrous protein that gives skin, hair and nails their integrity and water-resistant properties.
D. Finally, there is the stratum basale where skin cells are reproduced. This layer contains one row of column-shaped keratinocytes called basal cells. These cells are constantly dividing and pushing already-formed cells up through the higher layers of the epidermis.
You may have heard of basal cell carcinoma; this is the most common form of skin cancer as well as being the most frequently occurring form of all cancers. It originates in the stratum basale.
Melanocytes – cells that produce melanin (skin pigment) – sit in this layer too. Melanoma, one of the three most common forms of skin cancer, originates in these pigment-producing cells.
What Does Healthy Skin Looks Like?
As we can see, the skin is a complex structure with every element working in harmony to protect your body.
But how do you know if your skin is healthy? What does that look like?
We live in a world where we’re bombarded with images of people with flawless complexions (mainly due to digital enhancement). You may be worried that your unique birthmarks, freckles or blemishes mean your skin isn’t in tip-top condition.
In fact, very few people have “perfect” skin.
We’re all prone to areas of pigmentation, texture, acne or redness.
As a general rule of thumb, healthy skin is warm but not hot or inflamed. It feels relatively smooth rather than dry and flaky or moist and too oily.
Healthy skin is well hydrated and nourished by a healthy diet. It is also protected against sun damage.
Supporting Your Skin Health
Whether or not you’re confident about your skin health, it’s important that you do what you can to protect your skin throughout your life.
Here are some healthy skin tips that work for everyone:
DRINK PLENTY OF WATER
Staying hydrated helps our skin as much as it helps our internal organs; generally speaking, if you’re drinking two to three litres of water a day, you probably have well hydrated skin.
WEAR SUNSCREEN EVERYDAY
Sun damage can cause patches of hyperpigmentation on your skin and break down the proteins that give your skin its youthful elasticity; wearing sunscreen or a moisturiser that has SPF is one of the most effective ways to protect your skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays.
EXFOLIATE
As we’ve seen above, the stratum corneum includes many dead skin cells that are working their way to the surface to eventually drop off. Too many of these dead cells can leave your skin looking dull. By regularly exfoliating your skin, you can help to slough off these dead cells to reveal the newer, healthier cells underneath.
FOLLOW A HEALTHY DIET
Your skin loves being nourished by a well-balanced diet of protein, vegetables, fruit, fluids and vitamins A, C, E and zinc.
STOP SMOKING
Good circulation is vital to healthy skin as it helps blood, oxygen and nutrients to flow to the various cells and layers to ensure they’re all working properly.
Smoking constricts the blood vessels, slowing down your circulation and reducing the vital supplies reaching your skin.
If you can stop smoking, it will dramatically reduce your risk of developing common skin conditions, including skin cancer.
BE AWARE OF YOUR SKIN
If you’re suddenly more aware of your skin because it feels tight, dry or even too oily, this can be a sign that your skin’s pH balance is off-kilter; skincare products often cause this. It’s worth speaking to a doctor, nurse practitioner or dermatologist for advice.
CHECK YOUR SKIN’S TEXTURE
Often thanks to digital manipulation, you’d be forgiven for thinking that models don’t actually have pores in their skin! In fact, look at anyone’s skin up close and you will be able to see pores, hair follicles and tiny little peaks and troughs. These irregularities are actually perfectly regular.
What you should be aware of, however, are irregularities or changes in texture that are unusual to you.
INVESTIGATE DISCOLOURATION
If your skin is at optimum health, the colour will be consistent. This might include areas of hyperpigmentation such as freckles or a birthmark but these will be usual and consistent for you.
If you notice changes to your skin colour, such as a sudden abundance of redness or dark spots, it’s advisable to seek medical advice. You could have a skin condition such as acne, rosacea, eczema or psoriasis.
