Epidermal tissue is one of the outermost layers of the skin. Its functions are diverse, ranging from protecting the body from germs and harmful substances, determining skin color, to producing certain cells that play an important role in body health.
Human skin anatomy consists of three main skin layers, namely the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis or subcutaneous tissue. These three layers of skin are known as the largest organs of the body because they can reach about 2 square meters in size.
Each layer of skin has different characteristics and functions. To find out what are the functions of the epidermal tissue and how to treat it, let's look at the following reviews.
Functions of the Epidermal Tissue and the Cells in It
Epidermal tissue thickness is not always the same in some parts of the body. For example, the epidermal tissue on the soles of the feet and hands has a much thicker layer than the epidermis on the face.
The epidermis layer of the skin has several important functions, namely:
1. Protect the body
The main function of the epidermal tissue is to prevent germs or harmful substances that can cause health problems from entering the body. Epidermal tissue also functions to prevent dehydration by reducing evaporation of water through the skin.
2. Replace dead skin cells
Every minute, there are about 30,000-400000 dead skin cells on the surface of your skin. Epidermal tissue is responsible for producing new cells to replace the dead skin cells.
3. Determine skin color
In addition to producing new skin cells, epidermal tissue also produces melanocyte cells. These cells contain pigments that play a role in determining the color of your skin.
The lightness of the skin depends on the amount of pigment present in the melanocyte cells of the skin. If you have dark skin means the amount of pigment in your cells is quite a lot. Sun exposure and race are some of the factors that can affect the number of melanocytes in the skin.
4. Counteract the effects of sun exposure
Melanocyte cells not only play a role in skin color. These cells are also useful for protecting the body from excessive sun exposure. Skin that is too long exposed to sunlight can cause premature skin aging, wrinkles, and increase your risk of developing skin cancer.
5. Produce vitamin D
In the epidermis of the skin there are cells called keratinocytes. These cells function to produce vitamin D when the skin is exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D will play a role in helping the body meet the needs of calcium.
Keratin cells in the epidermis also play a role in preventing excessive evaporation of the skin.
In addition to the above functions, epidermal tissue also has a role to produce sweat and skin's natural oil (sebum). This is because it is in the epidermis layer of the skin that oil glands and sweat glands can be found. In addition, the pores of the skin where hair or fur grows are also found in the epidermis layer.
Treat Epidermal Tissue From Now
Given the many roles of the epidermal tissue for health, it is best to treat the outermost layer of skin from an early age. Otherwise, the epidermal tissue is susceptible to various health problems, including rashes, acne, dermatitis, psoriasis, hyperkeratosis, and even skin cancer.
Not only causing discomfort, experiencing skin problems of course will also interfere with your appearance.
Maintaining the health of the skin's epidermal tissue is not difficult. You can do this by implementing the following simple methods:
1. Avoid sun exposure
Sunlight is basically good for the skin, because it can help the body produce vitamin D. However, sunlight is not always good for the skin.
The best time for a healthy sun exposure is 9am. Avoid exposure to sunlight after 11 am. Because at that time, the intensity of UVB rays is at its highest.
Exposure to UVB rays can cause skin wrinkles, age spots, dark spots, and increase your risk of skin cancer.
If you often go outside when the sun is hot, protect your skin by using sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, and covered clothing.
2. Keep skin clean
When bathing, use warm water and soap that is safe to clean the skin from dirt that sticks. Do not bathe too long, because it can strip the natural oils contained in your skin.
When finished, dry the skin by gently patting it with a soft towel. Then, apply moisturizer all over the body, including the face.
3. Eat nutritious food
Epidermal tissue and other parts of the skin require many types of nutrients to stay healthy, one of which is vitamin C. In the skin, vitamin C acts as an antioxidant that counteracts free radicals. Vitamin C also protects the skin from sun exposure which can damage the skin.
You can get various benefits of vitamin C for the skin from fruits and vegetables, such as oranges, guava, broccoli, and chilies.
In addition to vitamin C, nutrients that also play a role in skin health are zinc, beta carotene, protein, omega-3, lutein, and vitamin E, and vitamin D. Some of these nutrients you can get from olive oil, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, eggs, tea green, and fish.
4. Stay away from cigarettes
Cigarettes contain many substances that are not only harmful to the skin, but also to your overall health. One of the bad effects of smoking on the skin is the narrowing of blood vessels in the epidermal tissue. This causes the skin to look dull and easily damaged.
Another impact that can occur on the skin if you smoke is that the skin looks old, wrinkles appear, and its elasticity decreases. You are also at increased risk of skin cancer. So, stop smoking and avoid secondhand smoke from now on. In addition, also by not consuming alcoholic beverages.
In addition to the several ways above, maintaining the health of the epidermal tissue also needs to be done by reducing stress, getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, and drinking lots of water.