The human skin is like a bag that completely encloses all the organs of the body. It largely differs from all other land-based mammals in that it is largely hairless. The fur, coat or pelts of other animals provide them with protection from the elements whereas the human has no such natural protection and in order to live in the various climates, we have learned to cover it.
Senses
The skin provides protection and senses. It is packed with countless nerve endings which provide the mind with information about: hot/cold, soft/hard, rough/gentle and pain/pleasure. The tactile senses which enable people to read Braille are not normal but can be trained and developed.
Color
The pigmentation is determined by melanin and normally dependent on the genes inherited from the parents. The actual hue varies from racial group to racial group but even with the racial group, variations of shade exist. Furthermore, the actual color is not even across the entire body. The palms of the hands, lips, nipples all are noticeably more pigmented than the majority of the body.
Changes over time
The skin is a sensitive organ which changes over time. Babies’ skin is usually smooth without wrinkles. The changes in hormones that come with puberty often result in acne and other minor skin disorders. But at that stage, the human skin is at its toughest and most elastic. Exposure to the sun and weather often result in premature wrinkling with the skin losing its smoothness. It is usual for the skin to lose its tone and elasticity with advances in age.
Healing
This remarkable organ has an immense ability to heal itself. During childhood and youth, many children suffer minor cuts and abrasions and these heal themselves often without leaving any trace. But even fairly severe lesions heal.
Skin Care
In any pharmacy, there are myriads of skin care products being sold, from suntan lotions, acne treatments, anti-wrinkling and anti-aging creams and so on. This is a multi-billion dollar industry and many of these products give value for their users. The essential point is that the human skin is a sensitive organ that it has been shown responds to care by aging/wrinkling slower if care is taken.
