What is Skin?

The skin is the body's largest Organ


The skin is the body's largest organ and accounts for about 15 percent of body weight. It consists of three main layers, an outer layer known as the epidermis, the layer below called the dermis and the deeper layer named hypodermis. The skin protects the body from many external forces such as bacteria, physical injury and UV radiation. It performs a range of different functions that include regulating body temperature, permitting the sensation of touch and protecting from wear and tear.

Like every vital organ, the skin loses some function as we age that causes a change to it's complexion and texture. This change can sometimes bring about a decline in the production of important

nutrients such as collagen and hyaluronic acid giving way to the formation of wrinkles and dull looking skin.

What is the function of the skin?

The skin is more than just a wrapping paper and has many functions which include:

Protecting and shielding the body's organs and additional components from the environment.

Guarding the body from ultraviolet light that can cause severe illness such as cancer and skin burn.

Preventing the body from dehydrating by stopping the body from losing the water it has absorbed .

Regulating the body's temperature by cooling and heating it when necessary.

What is the structure of the skin?

The skin is like an envelope and holds the contents of our body together. The three main layers that work together to protect and guard our body from mechanical, thermal and hazardous substances.

The epidermis or outer layer is the elastic waterproof layer on the outside of the body that acts as a barrier against environmental forces. It contains cells known as melanocytes that produce melanin to help determine your skin, hair and eye colour.

The inner layer known as the dermis consists of three main fibres called collagen, elastin and reticular fibres. Collagen is used to provide strength and elastin to allow the skin to stretch without tearing. It is also home to sweat glands, hair follicles, nerve endings, blood vessels and lymph glands.

The deeper layer of the skin known as hypodermis is made up of connective tissue and fat and acts as an insulator for the body.

What are the common skin conditions?

The skin is an amazing organ that produces natural substances to keep it healthy on the inside and beautiful on the outside. It is the body's only protective outer-shell and comes into contact daily with many infections and chemicals. The addition of stress and lifestyle choices forces your skin to overdrive and leads to different skin conditions such as:

Acne – occurs when glands in the skin produce excessive amounts of oil known as sebum

Sun damage - overexposure to the Sun.

Ageing- developing the characteristics that come with age i.e. wrinkles, ill health

Pigmentation- increase or decrease in melanin production causing dark or light patches on your skin.

What can I do to treat these skin conditions?

Miravue Skin Clinic has a team of doctors and nurses and specialise in aesthetic and medical dermatology. We treat any skin complaint including Acne, Eczema, Psoriasis and Pigmentation. Our Senior Dermatologist assess and diagnose all medical skin conditions and devise a treatment plan to help keep the condition under control.

We prescribe medications and specialist skin products to treat all skin conditions and offer many therapy treatments including:

- Laser

- Skin peels

- Skin fillers

- Microdermabrasion

Our experienced team of nurse practitioners and aestheticians are here to help you combat any aesthetic issues including laser hair removal, pigmentation, scars and the removal of benign skin lesions such as warts, moles, skin tags and milia.

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