The aging process has you firmly in its grasp if you never get the urge to throw a snowball.

Doug Larson

What is skin?

In zootomy and dermatology, skin is an organ of the integumentary system composed of a layer of tissues that protect underlying muscles and organs. As the interface with the surroundings, it plays the most important role in protecting against pathogens. Its other main functions are insulation and temperature regulation, sensation and vitamin D and B synthesis.

Skin has pigmentation, provided by melanocytes, which absorbs some of the potentially dangerous radiation in sunlight. It also contains DNA repair enzymes which reverse UV damage, and people who lack the genes for these enzymes suffer high rates of skin cancer. One form predominantly produced by UV light, malignant melanoma, is particularly invasive, causing it to spread quickly, and can often be deadly. Human skin pigmentation varies among populations in a striking manner. This has sometimes led to the classification of people on the basis of skin color. See the article on human skin color.

Mammalian skin often contains hairs, which in sufficient density is called fur. The hair mainly serves to augment the insulation the skin provides, but can also serve as a secondary sexual characteristic or as camouflage. On some animals the skin is very hard and thick, and can be processed to create leather. Reptiles and fish have hard protective scales on their skin for protection, and birds have hard feathers, all made of tough β-keratins. Amphibian skin is not a strong barrier to passage of chemicals. A frog sitting in an anesthetic solution will quickly go to sleep.

Skin is composed of the epidermis and the dermis. Below these layers lies the hypodermis(subcutaneous adipose layer), which is not usually classified as a layer of skin.

Blood capillaries are found beneath the epidermis, and are linked to an arteriole and a venule. Arterial shunt vessels may bypass the network in ears, the nose and fingertips.

The dermis lies below the epidermis and contains a number of structures including blood vessels, nerves, hair follicles, smooth muscle, glands and lymphatic tissue. It consists of loose connective tissue otherwise called areolar connective tissue - collagen, elastin and reticular fibres are present. Erector muscles, attached between the hair papilla and epidermis, can contract, resulting in the hair fibre pulled upright and consequentially goose bumps.

The main cell types of skin are fibroblasts, adipocytes (fat storage) and macrophages. Sebaceous glands are exocrine glands which produce sebum, a mixture of lipids and waxy substances: lubrication, water-proofing, softening and antibactericidal actions are among the many functions of sebum. Sweat glands open up via a duct onto the skin by a pore.

The skin must be regularly cleaned. Unless enough care is taken it will become cracked or inflamed. Unclean skin favors the development of pathogenic organisms.

Functions of the skin are disturbed when it is dirty and it becomes more easily damaged. The release of antibacterial compounds decreases. Dirty skin is more prone to develop infections. Cosmetics should be used carefully because these may cause allergic reactions. Each season requires suitable clothing in order to facilitate the evaporation of the sweat. Sunlight, water and air play an important role in keeping the skin healthy.

Anti-aging and skin care

If you take care of your skin, your skin will take care of you! But with all of the lotions, creams, and potions on the market, it can be difficult to know which product will work for you. Many products claim to remove wrinkles or heal dry skin. Others claim to contain expensive ingredients that they say will improve the effects of the product.

The first step to taking care of your skin is preventing damage. Sun, wind, pollutants, and simply aging can degrade the condition of your skin. Common complaints include dry and itchy skin, wrinkles, sagging, color changes, and age spots. There are steps that you can take to keep you skin looking and feeling its best.

The most important way to care for your skin is to protect it from the damaging rays of the sun. Ultraviolet radiation damages the skin and can lead to wrinkles, premature aging, age spots, and cancer. Take extra precautions to make sure your skin is not exposed to the sun's rays. Use a natural sunscreen, or a moisturizer that contains sunscreen (at least SPF 15) everyday. Your skin does need some sunlight 10-15 minutes of direct exposure daily.

When you do use soap, try using a natural very mild soap that does not contain any dyes, parabens or perfumes. Follow up the bath with a moisturizing lotion, concentrating on problem dry areas. A good all natural moisturizer is one of the foundations for a healthy skin care regimen. Continue moisturizing throughout the day to keep skin healthy. Your hands and face are particularly susceptible to daily damage, and may need to be moisturized several times.

A skin care routine does not have to be elaborate in order to be effective. But you should develop some kind of skin care routine based on your skin type, daily activities, and nutritional needs so that you can be sure you are taking the very best care of your skin. Following a daily skin care regime will also allow you to more closely evaluate your skin for abnormalities.

Use a natural sunscreen when possible, regardless of whether or not you plan on spending much time in the sun. The sun's rays are very damaging and if you get in the habit of applying sunscreen everyday, you will never be left without protection. The suns most beneficial rays occur at sunrise and sunset.

Acne, pimples, sunspots, age spots, wrinkles and other blemishes are skin conditions that plague people the world over. The global beauty industry already makes billions of dollars every year as women everywhere embark on quests to preserve (or achieve) a youthful, glowing appearance. Responding to this need, dermatologists, and other specialists continue to look for the best and safest possible treatments and formulations to combat skin ailments, the most common of which is acne.

Apart from the services offered at skin clinics, many creams, gels and ointments that claim to treat acne, diminish sun or age spots and enhance skin elasticity are widely available in the market. There are scrubs, cleansers, masks, over-the-counter skin medicine and skin peel formulations, all offered at various price ranges. Most can be bought at department stores or drugstores, but the fact is that very few of these so- called miracle products actually work.

As we age, our body undergoes various changes, and so does our skin. In our skin, we have tissues known as collagen and elastin. These tissues are mainly responsible for making our skin firm and stretchable. As we grow older, the amount of collagen and elastin in our skin naturally diminishes. As a result, our skin becomes less elastic and weaker, thus creating "wrinkles".

Experts say that the amount of wrinkles that a person will develop through the years also depends on the genetic make up of this individual. However, smoking, sun exposure, dry skin, and repetitive facial expressions and mannerisms such as frowning, can all enhance the creation of wrinkles that may or may not be permanently present.

Over the years, beauty experts and skin doctors have come up with a vast array products to treat and minimize wrinkles. Anti-wrinkle creams and ointments help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and prevent new ones from forming. These wrinkle ointments and anti-aging creams help a lot in restoring the skin's firmness and elasticity. In addition, these products contain anti-oxidants and retinol that not only aids in reducing wrinkles and fine lines on the skin, but also stimulates collagen production.

Terms interpretation

Acne

• An inflammatory disease of the sebaceous glands and hair follicles of the skin that is marked by the eruption of pimples or pustules, especially on the face.

Bacteria

• Microscopic unicellular prokaryotic organisms characterized by the lack of a membrane-bound nucleus and membrane-bound organelles.

Dermis

• The sensitive connective tissue layer of the skin located below the epidermis, containing nerve endings, sweat and sebaceous glands, and blood and lymph vessels.

Epidermis

• The outer, protective, nonvascular layer of the skin of vertebrates, covering the dermis.

Hypodermis

• A subcutaneous layer of loose connective tissue containing a varying number of fat cells.

Pimples

• A small swelling of the skin, usually caused by acne; a papule or pustule.

Ultraviolet radiation

• Invisible electromagnetic radiation between visible violet light and X rays.

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