When people come in to see me for an initial assessment they are often surprised when I spend so much time assessing their skin. Why is it so important to look after your skin?
The skin is the largest organ of the body and if you think about it, can you imagine what we would look like if it was not there! It accounts for about 15% of your body weight, has a surface area of about 6 square metres with nearly 18 kilometers of blood vessels. The skin protects us from moisture, cold and heat, as well as harmful substances and infections. It regulates your body temperature and helps us communicate with others (have you ever blushed when you are embarrassed?)
If you looked at skin under a strong microscope you might see that it looks a bit like brick paving. Have you a brick path or driveway at home? What happens when it cracks or the edges start lifting? That’s right, dirt collects in the cracks where weeds can start to grow. If your skin becomes dry, the top layers ( the epidermis) start to lift which you sometimes will see with the naked eye.
If you are on certain medications or have had surgery which affects your lymphatic system (such as lymph node surgery) you might have a lowered ability to resist an infection. You may even have some leg swelling which has been there for years without being a problem!
So back to the original question: why do we all need to care for our skin? Your skin protects your body from infection; some surgeries, medications and medical conditions can lower your resistance to infection; If your skin becomes dry and cracked there is an easy entry point for infection which may lead to a skin infection called CELLULTIS!
SO the take home message is to keep your skin well hydrated with a non soap wash and a skin friendly moisturiser. This means your arms and, in particular your legs and feet, especially if you have leg and foot swelling!
