Care for The Skin, HAir And Nails - How to save from infection

THE SKIN, HAIR, AND NAILS 

THE SKIN is the body's largest organ, having an area in an average 150- pound person of 17 to 20 square feet and weighing about 6 pounds, twice as much as either liver or brain. It extends into the nose and other body cavities in the form of thin mucous membrane which secretes lubricating fluids. The skin is an enormously versatile and protective organ. It serves to keep body fluids in and foreign agents out, to shield against harmful rays, to help regulate body temperature.

It forms the body's shape, contains the sense of touch, is a main organ of sexual attraction. The skin even reflects much about the state of health of the body, as you may have noticed in sick people, and also about the state of mind, as is evident when someone blushes with embarrassment or pales with fear. And although beauty is a composite of many things, physical and mental, there is no doubt that an attractive, healthy skin contributes greatly to beauty.

The more knowledge you have about the skin, the better able will you prevent disturbances to it and maintain its integrity, beauty, and positive values. although it appears to be just a simple covering, a single square inch may contain some 70 feet of nerves, 650 sweat glands, blood vessels, 65 to 75 hairs and associated muscles, and hundreds of nerve endings for detecting pressure, pain, heat,   layers of tissue form the skin: epidermis, dermis, and sub- The Skin, Hair, and Nails cutaneous layer. The epidermis is the outer layer, and because living cells cannot survive exposure to air, the outermost portion of the epidermis, the visible surface, is actually made up of dead rather than living cells.

Microscopic layers of cells from the outer epidermis are constantly being lost through bathing and rubbing against clothing. They are re- placed from underneath by new cells formed in the malpighian layer of the epidermis. Here, in this deeper layer, where new cells are formed, the skin may be colored by a pigment called melanin, which has as its purpose the prevention of tissue damage from the more dangerous rays of the sun. Skin color is also influenced by another pigment which is yellow and by the presence of blood vessels in the dermal layer. Beneath the epidermis is the dermis, sometimes called the "true skin." At the top of the dermis is a layer of tiny, rounded ridges called papillae, which project outward, perhaps 150 million of them throughout the body. 

Main Occupational Hazards - Skin Diseases

1.       SKIN DISEASES

      These are among the most widespread industrial health problems. Almost anything-chemicals, dirt, and oil, as well as germs-can irritate the skin. Chief troublemakers are petroleum products, such as machine oil, naphtha, and cutting oil compounds; solvents which include degreasers such as kerosene, gasoline, and trichlorethylene; alkalis, such as lime, caustic soda, and strong yellow soap; and plants, including poison ivy, sumac, and poison oak. Florists are particularly subject to skin irritation from plants.

Furriers may be affected by parahenylenediamine. Workers who use chromium in electroplating may develop chrome ulcers. While the list of possible skin afflictions that may develop in connection with work is an almost endless one, there are several important precautions you can use to avoid trouble. Immediately, after finishing any dirty or oily job, and also before eating lunch and leaving for the day, apply soap and water generously.

Special soaps may be required to re- move some substances that cling stubbornly or penetrate into the skin. Don't try to rub away oils that get on hands and face; this may only force them into the skin, clogging the pores, causing irritation and pimples. Wash off oil with soap and water, using repeated applications if necessary; then dry with a clean towel. Special ointments are available to cover the skin before contact with offending substances, providing protection and greatly simplifying the removal of some otherwise difficult-to-remove materials.

Gloves, sleeves, and aprons can afford protection. Pull sleeves over the cuffs of gloves to make certain no skin is exposed. Keep protective clothing clean; change it often. Do not use advertised ointments for any skin problems compounded by self-treatment. The self-treatment-actually overtreatment by a worried victim-may produces skin problems of its own. Over- treatment dermatitis is a common problem that confronts dermatologists -skin specialists to whose care serious victims often must be referred. If you have used the precautions mentioned above and still suffer because of certain oils or chemicals, you may have developed an allergy to them.

See your physician, who may be able to help with special de- sensitization treatment designed to increase your tolerance for specific materials. If this does not help, it may be essential that you move to another job. But let your doctor decide this.