What You May Not Know About Your Skin

World’s Largest Organ The average person has about 20 square feet of skin. In fact, skin is the body’s largest organ. Made up of three layers—the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis—skin is what keeps the body put together. It protects the insides from the outside, helps regulate body temperature, and gives that sensational sense of touch. Approximately 15 percent of your weight is made up of your skin. Did you know? Sunscreen can no longer claim to be waterproof or sweat proof. About five minutes of sun exposure in New York at noon in the summer will provide maximum vitamin D production for a Caucasian person. That’s not dust. Your body sheds approximately 50,000 dead skin cells every minute. The typical adult’s skin would equal about 22 square feet if removed and stretched out. Stock Up On Sunscreen The sun damages skin all year round, not just in the summer, and that leads to wrinkles, age spots, and even skin cancer. For healthy skin, sunscreen should be part of the routine 365 days out of the year. Choose SPF 30 or higher, broad spectrum (protects from both UVA and B rays), and water resistant (lasts 40–80 minutes before need to reapply). New technology for severe burn treatment involves spraying cultured skin cells onto thin tissue, where they grow to create new skin. Thanks to its sunny climate and large population with a northern European heritage, Australia has the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. Stay Baby Soft Feel like your skin is leaving you high and dry? It’s probably the other way around. A simple adjustment in your routine can do wonders for alleviating and preventing dry skin when the humidity drops. Consider the following:

• Apply moisturizer immediately after washing. This traps existing moisture in your skin—after a full shower or just washing your hands.
• Whether it’s from over-scrubbing or added chemicals, some skincare products are too harsh on the skin. When showering, scrub gently and avoid using skincare products that contain alcohol, fragrance, retinoids, or alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA).

50 Percent of the people who get a tattoo will later want it removed. Laser light, used in pulses, is a common treatment; the sensation has been described as feeling “like a grease splatter” or like “snapping a rubber band against the skin.” The color of the ink and depth of the tattoo will determine how many treatments are needed to remove it; the location has a lot to do with how painful the process is.