Skin care
The flexible covering of human or animal body is called skin. It is one of the sense organs of our body. It helps us to feel the sensations of touches, pressure, pain, heat and cold. It also helps us to feel the coziness of velvet and roughness of rocks. It is also our skin which makes us feel the prick of an injection. Being a sense organ, it may be called as one of `the windows to the world’.
The skin of different organs of the body is not the same so far as thickness and toughness of the skin is concerned. The skin on palms and soles is thick while the skin around the joints is thin and loose. The skin also changes according to age. We may call our skin the boundary line between our body and surroundings.
One of the most important functions of the skin is to maintain the constant temperature of the body. During summer and in the moments of strenuous manual labor, a great deal of heat is generated in the body but it does not get overheated by its own heat because the excessive is constantly lost through perspiration.
Sweat contains water, salt and urea etc. the skin keeps off the waste production of the body through perspiration. It protects our body against injuries also. It is also a medium to express the feelings of shame, anger and fear etc., through flushing, redness and blanching.
Hygiene of the skin
In order to prevent the common skin diseases such as ringworm, eczema etc., one must take proper care of the skin. An individual can keep his skin clean and health by observing the principles of personal hygiene. The under clothing should be changed daily and washed with shop. The use of nylon and other chemical fibers should be discouraged. Appropriate type of clothing should be used during different seasons.
Washing Luke- warm water and soap is the best for keeping the skin clean and free from infections. We should take a bath daily, rub soap well on our body and wash away dirt with water. After bath, we should wipe our body with a clean towel. We should never use borrowed clothes. It is highly infectious and injurious to health.