HEALTH NOTES

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 April 1927, Page 8

HEALTH NOTES

CARE OF THE SKIN. (Contributed by the Department of Health.) A good complexion is a social obligation. It is a joy to look upon, though the face be plain. It is an expression of health and sweetness and houndness which is an asset’in the struggle for existence. It is best obtainable, therefore, by attention to the laws of right living, not by the use of the expensive cosmetics so often employed in seeking it.

The skin forms a protective covering for the whole body. It is composed, of two layers, the, epidermis, or cuticle, and the dermis, or true skin. The epidermis is composed of many layers of flattened, somewhat horny, cells which arc constantly being shed, and replaced by new cells growing up from beloW. It is protective, and when it is perfect, poisonous substances may be handlecT ’with comparative impunity, but if it is injured, such substances may be readily absorbed into the circulation and cause general poisoning. . . . The dermis, or true skin, is fibrous in character, and contains many small blood vessels. It is exposed and bleeds when one “barks” one’s knuckles, to use a familiar expression. It is in the true skin that the terminal points of the nerves are found, which give the skin its value as an organ of touch. The special activities of the skin are. performed by the sweat glands, the' fat (sebaceous) glands, and the hair follicles or roof hods of the hair. The sebaceous glands secrete an oily fluid which is generally discharged into a. hair follicle, the little pit in the skin in which the root of a- growing hair lies. The function of these glands is to provide a. lubricant, especially for the hairs. The sweat glands, on the other hand, after pursuing a tortuous course through the skin, open on its surface directly, pouring out the fluid which we call perspiration or sweat. This is constantly being poured out in a quiet and unobtrusive fashion by the myriads of sweat glands, and is termed insensible perspiration, as we are hardly aware of its presence. If, however, we are exposed to a high temperature or exert ourselves vigorously, sweat is poured out in such abundance that the skin may he bathed in it. This is termed sensible perspiration. It may be induced by certain drugs or. even by powerful emotion, such as*fear.

Bv means of perspiration, the body gets rid of a certain amount of its waste material so that the skin is also to be regarded as an cxecretory organ, and failure of the skin to discharge ibis duty efficiently, results in extra work being thrown upon other organs of the body, such as the kidneys and lungs. 1 The main ' work, however, of the skin is that, of heat, regulation or equalisation of body temperature. When the surface of the body is cold the supply of.blood to the skin is decreased and the secretion of perspiration is slow. But when the body becomes overheated by exercise, or when the surface of the body is exposed to great heat, the supply of blood to the skin is increased, the sweat glands open wider, and perspiration is given off freely, the evaporation of moisture tending in this way to reduce the temperature of the body. It is thus obvious that the care of the skin is essential to bodily health. Any disturbance of the other organs of the body may be reflected on the skin. If the waste products are not eliminated by other channels, such as the kidneys and bowels, extra work is thrown upon the skin, resulting in such unhealthy conditions as common acne or other skin diseases. In the same way, disease of the tonsils or teeth, or any other condition which causes poisoning of the blood stream may be responsible for an unhealthy skin. Attention to the general health is thus essential for a good complexion.

CLEANLINESS AND CLOTHING. It is necessary that the skin receives such care as will enable it to fulfil all its functions in the best possible way. The first rule is that of cleanliness. Accumulation of fatty material in the skin which causes clogging of the pores of the skin must be obviated by use of soap and water. As an ordinary hygienic Pleasure the face should be washed once a day with warm water and a good quality of soap. Warm baths hsould be taken once or twice in a week. For the young and healthy a cold bath or a cold sponge in the morning with a towel wrung out in cold water is a good tonic and promotes bodily vigour. For the very young and delicate who do not stand cold baths well, a daily tepi dsponge may take the place of this treatment.

Lack of personal cleanliness predisposes to skin diseases such as ringworm, impetigo caiitagiosa, and scabies or itch. Clean people may become infected from close contact with a sufferer. These conditions, which have already been fully dealt with in a previous article, demand prompt medical treatment.

Modern science tells us that the ultra-violet rays of sunlight exert a powerful and**beneficial influence on body nutrition. Man has, however, not only become an indoor animal, but has adopted clothing of a closelywoven character which shuts out the skin from light and air, and protects it very effectively from changes of temperature, so that the body may be said to be liviing in a tropical atmosphere and the original vigour of the skin is lost. The type of clothing worn is important. Over-warm, closelywoven clothing should be avoided. Clothing should -be light and loose and warm, but not too warm, and so planned that it does not interfere with free bodily movement. It should be adapted to the climate and seasons of the year. Underclothing should be changed at least once a week. There is no such tiding as a skin food. The liberal use of creams, alleged skin foods, ointments, etc., for improving the condition of the skin is therefore a waste of money and often does harm. If the skin is temporarily dry and hard, benefit may be obtained by rubbing in a little cold cream or glycerine and water, but the copious rubbing in of fatty substances tends to overload the fatty glands and therefore diminish the healthy action of the skin.

Food Should be simple, adequate and well cooked. It should contain green vegetables and fresh fruit. Excessive tea, coffee, or other stimulants is bod. for the skin, as is also insufficient water drinking. Remember. —Skins, differ just as hearts, kidneys, brains, livers and nervous systems differ, and where there is a tendency to skin trouble and the cause cannot be traced to some direct injury, infection, or parasite, a thor-

ough overhauling,of.the body and life 'of the/individual is necessary or mere loop! measure may prove of but temporary benefit. Do not be afraid of soap and water. Be very much afraid of skin food's and “marvellous” internal and external cures for skin troubles.