The skin is the largest organ of the human body and comprises of 3 layers, the Epidermis, Dermis and subcutaneous innermost layer. Skin performs many functions like regulating body temperature, excretion etc.

Here are some interesting facts about the skin.

• Skin on an average adult skin weighs a total of 9 pounds and measures 21 feet; it also contains approximately 11 miles of blood vessels.

• Skin has almost 5 different kinds of receptors that respond to all kinds of external stimuli. In case of blind people, the visual cortex of the brain is wired differently which makes them literally feel the world through their touch and hearing senses.

• The condition of one’s skin can often be reflective of one’s health conditions. Thyroidism for example can affect one’s skin because the hormones produced by the thyroid gland are responsible for natural fats that keep our hair healthy, prevent hair pigmentation and protect the skin.

• Skin as we all know is prone to stretch marks which can occur due to pregnancy, severe weight fluctuations, teenage growth spurts etc. They appear when the skin is stretched beyond its capability and the underlying collagen and elastin break down. However, stretch marks can be avoided if taken care of at an early stage when they appear to be red or purple and by keeping oneself well hydrated.

• In a day of typical hot humid weather, the skin is capable of producing as much as 3 gallons of sweat.

• The nail bed, lip margins, eardrums and the tip of the penis never sweat. The body odour produced along with sweat is due to a fatty secretion by the apocrine sweat glands.

• Research reveals that white skinned people started appearing on earth merely 20-50000 years ago when dark skinned humans started migrating to colder climate areas and thereby lost their melanin pigments.

• The Cleveland Public Library of Harvard Law School and even Brown University had books that are covered in human skin that had been stripped from executed criminals or poor people.

• Human finger nails and hair comprise of dead skin covered with keratin, a layer of dead human skin.

• The skin renews itself every 28 days through shedding of dead cells.

• Lipids and all forms of natural fats are responsible for keeping the skin hydrated and healthy. Excessive consumption of alcohol, contact with detergents and other harmful chemicals can destroy these lipids thereby making skin look unhealthy and rough.

• No other mammalian species in the world have as much skin colour variations as much as human beings do. Skin colour is determined by the amount of pigment melanin produced by melanocytes present in the skin. Pheomelanin is yellow to red in colour while Eumelanin dark brown to black.

• When distribution of melanin over the skin is not even, it can be manifested in the form of freckles.

• An average human baby takes about 6 months to develop their permanent skin colours.

An annual dose of UV rays is a major determinant of the amount of skin pigmentation one suffers. Excessive exposure to sun’s rays is one of the major causes of skin cancer. Skin cancer can be prevented and people must take necessary precautions to prevent the spread of this disease.