Pollution, smoking, drugs, the wrong cosmetics, left over makeup, poor diet and over exposure to the sun can all take their toll on the skin. Skin can become dry, blotchy or rough when diets deteriorate.Ageing lines, wrinkles and uneven skin tones are commonly associated with bad nutrition. Dry skin usually responds to vitamin A and E together with a little more dietry oils. Those red, greasy and scaly rashes often found on the face, especially around the nose, chin and forehead, respond better to vitamins B2 and B6, especially when cracks appear at the edge of the mouth. Zinc has been universally used to treat all skin conditions especially eczema and acne. It also improves skin texture, elasticity and strength in ageing. Pale skin or mucous membranes may be due to anaemia but this can be corrected with extra iron, B12 and folic acid. Evening Primrose Oil has also been found to improve the softness of the skin.
The skin is the outer covering of living tissue of an animal. It is the largest organ of the integumentary system made up of multiple layers of epithelial tissues, and guards the underlying muscles, bones, ligaments, internal organs. The adjective cutaneous literally means “of the skin” (from Latin cutis, skin). Because it interfaces with the environment, skin plays a very important role in protecting (the body) against pathogens. Its other functions are insulation, temperature regulation, sensation, synthesis of vitamin D, and the protection of vitamin B folates. Severely damaged skin will try to heal by forming scar tissue. This is often discolored and depigmented. In humans, skin pigmentation varies among populations, and skin type can range from dry to oily.
Skin components
Skin layers
Skin has pigmentation, or melanin, provided by melanocytes, which absorb some of the potentially dangerous ultraviolet radiation (UV) in sunlight. It also contains DNA-repair enzymes that help 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 led to the classification of people(s) on the basis of 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 ß-keratins. Amphibian skin is not a strong barrier to passage of chemicals and is often subject to osmosis. A frog sitting in an anesthetic solution could quickly go to sleep. The skin is often known as the largest organ of the human body. This applies to exterior surface, as it covers the body, appearing to have the largest surface area of all the organs. For the average adult human, the skin has a surface area of between 1.5-2.0 square meters (16.1-21.5 sq ft.), most of it is between 2-3 mm (0.10 inch) thick. The average square inch (6.5 cm
