Skin Functions

Skin us the largest living and breathing organ of the body. It acts as an interface between the internal and external environments. There are 8 main functions of the skin.

1. Protection: Skin can protect from mechanical impact (pressure, stroke), thermos impact (heat, cold), chemical impact (acid, base) microorganism (bacteria, viruses, fungi), UV-radiation, wand loss. Skin sebum and sweat form an acid mantle layer. Acid mantle layer is a protective oily layer (lipid) on the skin's surface. It is a protectorate against environmental impurities and helps regulate moisture loss and water retention to prevent dehydration. It also maintain pH4.5 - pH5.5 to kill bacteria, and protection from the radiation from the sun by reflection.

2. Regulate Heat: Skin release heat by dilate (increase diameter) or retain heat constrict (reduce diameter) of the dermal blood vessels. Regulating sweat gland secretion such as more water release will release more heat; while release less sweat.

3. Sebum Secretion: Similar to above, skin secret sebum to form acid mantle layer. In fact, sebum is an oily substance secreted by sebaceous glands into fine ducts that convey the sebum to surface of the skin. It reducing the speed of evaporation of water from the surface of the body, ans also protecting the skin by its antibacterial effect.

4. Sweat Secretion: Similar to above, skin secret sweat to form acid mantle layer. Sweat glands produce a watery secretion and open on to the skin to help control body temperature and provide emotional response to stimulus. Sweat moisture body skin and when it evaporates, it provides a cooling effect for the body.

5. Sensation: There are lot of nerve endings and receptors in the skin, these nerve can sense different sensation such as touch, pain, pressure, heat or cold process.

6. Absorption: Dermis as the middle layer that contains the glands and the connective tissue which helps complete the absorption process by carrying whatever is places on the epidermis to the deepest part of the skin and throughout the body.

7. Produce Vitamin D: The skin produces Vitamin D through exposure to ultraviolet radiation in sunlight.

8. Reflex our body's Internal Environment: Since skin is one of the body part, it will reflect what is happening in the body. When body is healthy, it show on the skin. This is one of the way Chinese medicine use to diagnose health.