YES, YOU HAVE ONE!
It’s a system of the body, just as the respiratory, reproductive, lymphatic and cardiovascular systems.
The integumentary system is made of the skin and its various accessory organs.
We usually think of our skin as a non-living covering of our body, but it is so much more.
Skin has many functions.
1. It is a thin, yet strong, protective barrier to outside elements and microrganisms.
2. Contains sensory nerve ending that respond to touch, pain, cold, heat and pressure.
3. Regulates the body’s temperature
4. Excretes perspiration and detoxifies the body
5. Contains oil glands that secrete sebum to lubricate skin
6. Absorbs ingredients, water and oxygen necessary for skin health
7. Synthesizes vitamin D
8. Contains Langerhans cells that protect the body from infection
One square centimeter of skin contains:
1. 15 sebaceous glands – to sebum to protect the surface of the skin
2. 1 yard of blood vessels – to deliver nourishment
3. 700 sudoriferous glands – sweat glands to regulate body temperature and eliminate waste products by excreting sweat
4. 3,000 sensory cells at the end of nerve fibers – to feel touch, pain, cold, heat and pressure
5. 4 yards of nerves – deliver and send messages to the brain
6. 25 pressure apparatus for the perception of touch
7. 200 nerve endings to feel pain
8. 2 sensory apparatuses to feel cold
9. 12 sensory apparatuses to feel heat
10. 3,000,000 cells
11. 10 hairs
Our skin is in constant motion, it is not inanimate.
It is our first line of defense against environmental toxins, bacteria and viruses.
This is why you should keep your skin as healthy as possible by being consistent with healthy, nourishing products and facials.
What do you do to keep your integumentary system healthy?
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