[Kim Jaeho's Life Story]<181> Protecting the Life of the Skin

When the skin is healthy, people tend to take it for granted and often underestimate or ignore its importance. However, when skin problems arise, they realize the significance of the skin and begin to pay attention to it. Skin diseases are so common that half of the UK population experiences them at least once a year. The functions of the skin, which become apparent when skin diseases occur, may not seem flashy, but its role in protecting life is as vital as any other organ.

The skin protects the body from various threats such as physical impact or pressure, temperature changes, pathogen infections, radiation, and chemicals. It maintains a stable body temperature through the dilation and contraction of blood vessels and sweat secretion when it is hot or cold, and synthesizes vitamin D upon exposure to sunlight. Through contact or sensation, the skin performs various sensory functions such as touch, pressure, pain, warmth, and cold. The color or changes in the facial skin also help understand the health or emotional state of others.

The skin covering the outside of our body is soft and flexible yet quite tough and strong, so it does not easily break or tear unless injured. It is a mysterious organ that efficiently performs various functions and is the largest organ in our body, weighing about 4.5 kg and accounting for around 7% of body weight. Its thickness averages about 1.5 mm, and its surface area ranges from 1.5 to 2.0 square meters, making it the second largest organ after the small intestine.

When any problem occurs in the skin, its functional performance is inevitably disrupted. Skin problems can be divided into various skin diseases and wounds that occur on the skin. Wounds on the skin include those caused by accidents such as cuts, scratches, or punctures with an awl, as well as wounds from surgeries, suturing, or stitching for treatment. Any damage to the skin for any reason is included.

Since all skin is exposed to the outside, it is prone to wounds such as cuts, scratches, or tears from various accidents. Because pathogens like bacteria or viruses and toxic substances can enter the body through these wounds, it is extremely important to repair wounds quickly. Fortunately, wounds on the skin heal naturally and efficiently.

When the skin is wounded, blood vessels constrict to reduce blood loss, and platelets gather to form a clot. Then, blood vessels dilate to maximize blood flow, causing inflammation, and white blood cells clean up antigens including bacteria. A new collagen layer and capillaries are formed, and the wound edges contract to reduce the wound size. Skin cells migrate to the other side of the wound to cover it with cells, creating new skin.

People often think that hospital treatment heals wounds when the skin is damaged by an accident, but it should be understood that wound healing is fundamentally due to natural healing, and hospital treatment only partially assists this natural healing. If natural healing does not occur after suturing a torn wound, the wound will not heal and will remain as it is with the stitches.

Natural healing of the skin occurs not only when wounds happen but also as a routine daily process. DNA, which makes up the genes of skin cells, like other cells, suffers damage to hundreds of thousands of bases daily out of six billion, but it is constantly repaired so that skin cells can fulfill their roles. Cells that die due to aging or damage from accidents and other causes are replaced by newly formed skin cells.

About 50 million skin cells die and shed from the skin daily, which is the dead skin removed during bathing. The space left by dead cells is filled with newly produced skin cells. The lifespan of skin cells is relatively short, about four weeks, due to the easily damaged environment.

To successfully perform its given roles, the skin’s health must be maintained at an optimal level regularly, and care should be taken to reduce accidents. However, if a wound occurs due to an accident, it is essential to remember that the wound will heal naturally and to actively cooperate to ensure natural healing proceeds well.

Mild skin wounds heal quickly and without scarring simply by cleaning thoroughly with clean water or saline and applying a moist bandage without disinfecting. Even in cases of severe or bacterially infected wounds that require a doctor’s help, it should not be forgotten that wounds ultimately heal through natural healing power.

Jaeho Kim, Independent Researcher