By Ng Bee See
'Beauty is only skin deep' is an old cliché, but there is no better way of saying that the skin reflects whatever is going on inside your body. You can cover skin with moisturizers and make-up, but without feeding it well and caring for it from the inside you can rarely be truly beautiful.
Skin protects and supports the delicate tissue and vital organs that lie just beneath the surface. Our skin breathes and excretes waste materials and provides a growing pad for hair. It is fed nutrients and oxygen by tiny blood vessels that in turn pick up their cargoes from the food we take in and the air we breathe.
Skin is made up of two layers: the outer epidermis and the inner dermis. Both are flexible and elastic to allow movement of the body without distorting the skin. The dermis is the thicker layer. It contains blood vessels that bring nourishment and a lymphatic system that drains waste. Here also are two types of stretchy fibre, known as collagen fibres that are made of protein and elastin. Collagen fibres give the skin the 'stretch-and-spring-back' quality that helps it to withstand bumps and knocks. Hairs begin their growth in the dermis, and nerve endings and hair follicles found here make the skin sensitive to touch and pain. Sweat glands in the dermis release moisture that helps to control the body's temperature. Sebum, a natural lubricant and moisturizer, is produced in the sebaceous glands in the dermis. It mixes with sweat and forms a thin film on the skin called the acid mantle. This lends protection against infection and bacteria.
Skin cells are formed in what is called the stratum germinativum (the layer where growth begins). This is the lowest layer of the epidermis. The cells are continually replaced from beneath, so a new cell is gradually pushed upwards towards the surface. As the cell moves upwards it begins to die, and by the time it reaches the surface, it has flattened and hardened to form the stratum corneum. This hard, dead, insensitive layer protects the living cells beneath. Eventually, the old cells flake away from the skin and are replaced. This process is called desquamation and takes an average of twenty-one to twenty-eight days. The younger the skin, the quicker this cycle of renewal will be.
Skin is a vital, functioning part of us, yet how often is 'a lifestyle for a healthy skin' mentioned? There are 'healthy heart', 'stress reducing' and 'cancer preventive' lifestyles by the score, but skin seems to lose out.
Skin reflects the state of our body and our mind. Feeling run down? Then look in the mirror. Your skin will not look its sparkling best either. Have you eaten too much fast food? Then watch those spots appear in the more oily parts of your face. Have you been on a crash diet, eating nothing but lettuce leaves for days? Perhaps the skin on your arms or legs has gone dry and flaky. Does stress attack you in the middle of the night? Watch for the dark rings under your eyes. The better things are inside, the more naturally beautiful you will look.
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