Pair-A-Docs On Health
Is your Epidermis Showing?
If you could name your body's largest organ, would you say the liver? Most
people do. But actually it is your skin (the epidermis). The skin is an organ
due to the fact it has many functions. Other than keeping your insides from
falling out, it does have a lot of different jobs. For one, it protects you
from the environment. Skin protects you from abrasions, bacteria and chemicals.
This is why most burn victims are highly susceptible to infection.
Skin also helps to regulate your body temperature and creates Vitamin D when exposed to the sun. To make Vitamin D, the skin needs cholesterol and therefore decreases the amount of cholesterol in the body. Sorry to say it is not a way to control cholesterol levels but it is a start! The problem is that most people do not get enough exposure to the sun and therefore may not make enough Vitamin D.
The skin is made up of basically 3 layers. The first layer is the epidermis which is the part of the skin that we can see and touch. The next layer, the dermis, is where the hair grows from and where sensory nerves and blood vessels are located. The final layer, the subcutaneous layer, contains fat and allows your skin to glide over your body.
Did you know that skin makes up 7% of your body weight, can spread to 21sq/ft, and is made up of over 300 million cells? In one square inch of skin, there is over 70 feet of nerves, 20 hairs, 30 sebaceous glands, 200 sweat glands and 6.4 feet of tiny blood vessels. Skin is thickest on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. Much of the dust in your house is actually skin that has sloughed off. Yuck!
So how do tattoos work? Well, the artist actually injects the ink past the epidermis to the dermis layer. And what keeps the blood from removing the ink? Actually part of the ink is removed by the blood but the rest is consumed by white blood cells at which time the white blood cells die holding the ink in place. In time, the walls of these white blood cells break down and a new white blood cell surrounds the ink. This explains why in time a fine tattoo line widens a little and becomes faded. It is therefore, an immune response that causes the tattoo to remain.
The trouble with tattoos is that they are there for life. Yes, you can get them lasered off, but it doesn't always clear the tattoo. There are risks involved, as well, such as infection, tainted blood and even Mersa infections. Allen Hoeflinger, owner of Metro Tattoo on Speedway states, "The tattoo industry is highly regulated and licensed. Sanitation rules have to be followed and problems most often start when people try to work out of their house. They often charge less but you get what you pay for. Plus these people are operating illegally and can be put in jail. If they are willing to break the law and risk going to jail, they may just put you at risk."
So if you are going to get a tattoo, make an educated decision and use a reputable tattoo artist.
Dr. Scott DeMent and Dr. Melody DeMent are Doctors of Chiropractic who are married, own DeMent Family Chiropractic. Spinal health and wellness care for the individual and families are their emphasis in their practice. The Doctors can be reached at 298-4999.
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