Did you know that skin is the body’s largest organ? The average person has 20 feet of skin wrapped around their body. . . . that’s the length of 70 ruby red Chris the Apples lining the sidewalk!
The skin keeps our bodies at the right temperature and allows us to have a sense of touch. It is an important organ that protects and holds together our insides. Without it our bodies would have no shape.
Skin is made up of three layers with very big names: the epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous layer.
- The epidermis is the outer layer that we can see and touch. It gives skin our color and helps us keep water inside our bodies.
- The dermis is the middle layer. We aren’t able to see it with our eyes, but it contains little strings called nerve endings that talk to our brain when we feel something touch our skin. It also has sweat glands that produce sweat to keep us cool.
- The bottom layer is called the subcutaneous layer. It is made up of mostly fat that works to keep our body warm and helps our bodies absorb shock when we fall. It is also the place where our hair begins to grow.
Our skin is so important that if we don’t take care of its layers now while we are young, we may have serious problems when we get older.
Don’t worry, it’s pretty simple actually:
- Scrub the epidermis (the outer layer) really well in the bathtub or shower each day,
- Clean and cover scrapes and cuts as soon as you get them
- Wear protective sunscreen every time you go outside.
Trust me, if you do these things now you will be thanking yourself when you get to be my Granny Smith’s age.