Your skin is your body’s largest organ, and it does so much for you. It protects you from germs and helps regulate your temperature, among other things. But did you know that your skin has some other functions? Here are nine strange facts about your skin:
Your body’s largest organ has some interesting quirks.
Did you know that your skin is the largest organ in your body? It’s a big deal and helps you out in many ways.
First, it protects us from danger. You can thank your skin for keeping harmful substances out of your body as well as helping prevent infections.
Second, it’s an important part of our immune system—it helps heal wounds and fight off diseases by acting as an internal barrier against infection. Plus, without it, we wouldn’t be able to feel anything!
You’re born with two million sweat glands
Sweat glands are everywhere on your body, except for the palms of your hands. They’re located mostly in the soles of feet, underarms, and groin area. The function of sweat glands is to cool down your body when it gets hot by releasing water from them onto the surface of the skin.
If you have sweaty palms, don’t worry—it’s not a sign that you’re nervous or anxious; it’s just nature’s way of keeping you cool!
Your skin doesn’t sweat the same way all over.
In addition to eccrine sweat glands, which are responsible for cooling the body, your skin has apocrine sweat glands concentrated in three areas: armpits, groin region, and scalp.
Apocrine glands produce a thicker form of perspiration that’s often scented and can result in body odor.
The rest of your body is covered with eccrine sweat glands that are found in almost every pore on your skin surface.
The job of these small structures is to keep you cool by releasing watery fluid onto the surface of your body as it evaporates into the air around you—the process known as sweating.
You use some of those sweat glands more than others.
Your sweat glands are an amazing part of your body and they come in many sizes and shapes. Some are very large, but some are small.
Some sweat glands respond quickly when you’re hot, nervous, or scared (the so-called sympathetic response). Other glands don’t really kick into gear until after you’ve been sweating for a while.
Your skin varies in thickness depending on where it is on your body.
Your skin varies in thickness depending on where it is on your body. The thickest parts of your skin are the palms and soles of your feet, which average about 4 mm thick, while the thinnest part is around the eyelids and ears, at 0.5 mm.
This can change over time; as we age, our skin becomes thinner and more fragile. Men’s skin also tends to be thicker than women’s because they have more collagen fibers embedded within their dermis (the second layer of skin), whereas women have more fat cells in this layer than men do.
Pores act as gateways to your oil glands.
Pores are openings to the oil glands that produce sebum, a natural moisturizer that keeps your skin soft and supple.
Sebum is produced in the sebaceous glands and is secreted through the pores in your skin. Each pore connects to a hair follicle on your body; hair grows out of these follicles, providing you with another way for heat loss!
Acne and wrinkles aren’t just annoying—they mean you’re aging.
Acne and wrinkles are more than just signs of aging—they’re actually caused by aging. Acne is caused by bacteria that clogs your pores, which results in red bumps and pimples.
You may have tried to get rid of acne before, but you might not know that it’s actually a sign of how old your skin is!
Wrinkles on the other hand come from sun damage, smoking, and natural aging processes in your body.
While there are many treatments for both acne and wrinkles (medication or topical creams), the best way to prevent them is to wear sunscreen every day and protect yourself from sun exposure by wearing a hat or sitting in the shade whenever possible.
A tan might look good now, but it means you’re damaged.
If you’re a tanning enthusiast, it might surprise you to learn that your skin is actually suffering. It may seem like a healthy glow right now, but in reality, a tan indicates that you’re damaging your skin by overexposing it to ultraviolet (UV) rays.
These damaging rays cause wrinkles and age spots on the surface of our skin as well as damage deep within our bodies, leading to cancerous growths or tumors.
A tan is actually caused by molecules called melanin. Melanin is produced by your body’s pigment cells called melanocytes and its production increases when exposed to UV rays from the sun or even from indoor light bulbs (like those found in tanning beds).
There’s a lot we can learn about health conditions just by looking at your skin.
Many people associate a certain skin condition with a specific disorder, but it’s important to remember that many conditions can look similar on the surface.
For example, psoriasis and eczema are both characterized by redness and scaling on the skin. But psoriasis is caused by an overactive immune system, whereas eczema is caused by an allergy or irritation in your skin.
If you notice any changes in how your skin looks, there’s no harm in making an appointment with an expert to find out what’s going on under the surface!
Your skin does so much for you, and it’s interesting to learn more about it.
It’s true that you are what you eat, but it’s also true that you are what you don’t wash off. Your skin is a reflection of your body and an integral part of who you are as a person. It can reveal much about your health and well-being, so it’s worth taking the time to learn more about this amazing organ.
