The good Lord meticulously created the human system in His own image no doubt, from the head to the toe and the organs to the bones; it’s all a gracious harmony. The human body comes with five key senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste and of course, the all-important sixth sense but we would have to ask Bruce Willis about that, won’t we? The skin as an outer tissue covering, is the largest organ of the body affected by every aspect of one’s life, from what you eat to where you live, it also possesses the unique ability of not being able to take care of itself; you are not an immortal god with everlasting, smooth, unaging skin, sorry human, you are not Dracula. We are mortals after all but that doesn’t stop us from having the skin of our dreams.
Proper hygiene is vital in keeping a healthy skin. Being lazy or indifferent about taking care of your skin acts as an indication of an undesirable superficial organ cover of the whole body, if you care about your physical appearance, you must ensure your skin is clean at all times. The most important function of the skin is to protect the body from environmental hazards such as germs, harmful UV rays, physical damages etc. Also, over-application of cosmetics, especially those with bleaching properties pose serious health implications such as skin cancer as the layers of the skin become weakened and as such will easily absorb radiation from the sun.
You don’t have to avoid the sun completely but there are some protective measures that can be adopted such as wearing hats, sunglasses and applying sunscreens. Some folks think about sun protection only when they spend a day on the beach, pool, lake, etc. But here’s the fact, sun exposure adds up day after day and it occurs during every exposure in the sun, exposure to sunlight causes pigmentation, one early signs of aging. Using low quality skin products with harmful ingredients that are unsafe for the skin to absorb can also have health implications resulting in rashes, sores, acne and you looking like a modern day night king (don’t you dare say you haven’t seen the famous TV series “Game of Thrones”) riddled with wrinkles.
For prolonged outings under the sun, it’s in your best interest to use sunscreen. The ozone layer is not what it used to be, due to greenhouse gases or global warming effect, it has depleted over the years. The main function of sunscreen is to shield the body from harmful UV radiation. If you don’t want to win the skin cancer lottery then sunscreen is a must have. Also, health implications like skin cancer, premature wrinkled and aging skin are gifts that accompany a body that ignores the benefits of skin protection.
Sun damage leads to several skin disorders and health implications. Examples include melasma, in which brown and dark patches form on the skin (usually forehead and cheeks) due to excess melanin in that particular region. Other forms of uneven pigmentation include solar lentigos which are also known as sun-induced freckle. This sun spots are dark hyperpigmented lesions caused by ultraviolet radiation. Changes in the skin structural protein due to sun damage, leads to bleeding from fragile blood vessels beneath the skin’s surface in a condition called actinic purpura which is mostly seen in the elderly. We also cannot forget photodermatitis which is an abnormal skin reaction to UV rays and leads to the development of rash, blisters, or scaly patches. Other pre-cancerous skin changes include actinic cheilitis (farmer’s lip) which is a condition where the lips tissues become inflamed and ulcerated due to cumulative sun damage. It occurs mostly in the lower lips, more severe among cigarette smokers, and has the potential to develop into squamous cell cancer. Its other evil twin is the actinic Keratosis, where crusty lesions or scaly patches develop in areas that have received prolonged sun exposure over time. And can potentially lead to skin cancer with significant sun damage.
Skin cancer which is the worst undesirable outcome of sun damage is an uncontrolled rapid growth of abnormal skin cells which result in tumors, while cigarette smoking and hereditary factors are important risk factors; prolonged sun exposure is the main implicated cause of various types of skin cancer. Skin cancer can either be non-melanoma (basal and squamous skin cell cancer), or malignant melanoma which is the most dangerous.. Melanoma develops in the melanocytes and it is the most dangerous form of skin cancer, causing 75% of all skin cancer deaths and if untreated quickly can spread to other parts of the body to cause more havoc. Overtime, repeated and prolonged unprotected sun exposure increases one’s chances of developing several skin disorders and skin cancer. So it becomes necessary to protect your skin with clothes, limit sun exposure, and most importantly apply sunscreen all year round.
Bacterial infections are the VIP guests of a human body with poor skin hygiene, these include Impetigo, Erysipelas, Cellulitis and Folliculitis which resembles the most popular of skin infections known as pimples. Athlete’s foot, jock itch, ringworm and yeast infections are also health implications under the fungal infection umbrella. All these infections are quite unsightly and most times painful; athlete’s foot causes peeling, redness, itching, burning and sometimes blisters and sores. Gets one looking like an ambassador for skin infection giveaway company.
Continuous use of community baths and pools can lead to health implications such as the development of fungal diseases which can cause serious itches, cracking of skin and burning in the groin region. As such one should ensure proper hygiene by taking good care of the skin by using antiseptic soaps and avoiding dirty waters. Applying moisturizers is important in protecting the skin against dryness and cracking. Germs are ubiquitous, as such one cannot control who or what he or she gets in contact with, and one may be ignorant of contacting one’s body against a dirty or infected wall, person or furniture. The battle of protecting the skin is an unending one, non-protection of the skin on a daily basis can lead to serious health implications such contacting contagious bacterial or fungal diseases.
Having a healthy body is paramount to having a beautiful skin, the glow and blemish free skin desired by most people can only come from within. If you have a good working physical system, it will reflect as a natural glow. Protecting the skin isn’t a herculean task, applying sun screen, avoiding worries and stress, simple good night’s sleep, healthy food, and regular workout will go a long way in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, thereby providing you with a younger looking and beautiful skin.