Skin is the body’s largest organ. It covers a person from head to toe. Skin is waterproof. That is why water beads up on the skin when a person showers or swims. Skin protects other organs, muscles, and tissues from dirt and germs. Besides helping to shape a patient’s self image, the skin performs many physiologic functions.

For example, it protects internal body structures from the environment and potential pathogens. It also regulates body temperature and homeostasis and serves as an organ of sensation and excretion. Meticulous skin care is essential to overall health because intact, healthy skin is the body’s first line of defense. To ensure that a patient maintains healthy skin, you must make certain that all skin care measures prevent injury, control infection, promote skin growth, and control pain. Providing emotional support to a patient whose self image may be affected by a skin disorder or injury is also an essential element to good nursing care.

To enhance natural healing, skin wounds need regular dressing changes, thorough cleaning and, if necessary, debridement to remove debris, reduce bacterial growth, and encourage tissue repair. To control pain, you will need to assess the patient’s pain and response to therapy. If he or she has minor pain, a topical agent may be all that is needed. For moderate pain, such techniques as positioning and bed rest may help. A patient in severe pain may require a strong analgesic for pain relief.

A patient who has a disfiguring or painful skin disorder may suffer from frustration, depression, and anger. Along with physical support, the patient will require emotional support as he or she develops coping mechanisms to deal with his or her altered self image.

If you are working with a patient who has impaired skin integrity for example, a patient with burns or pressure ulcers your primary goal is to prevent or control infection because damage to skin integrity increases the risk of infection, which could delay healing, worsen pain, and possibly threaten the patient’s life.

Nutrition is very important for skin care. What you eat is reflected on your face and body. Basic skin care is a daily matter, beginning with using natural soaps when you bathe. Skin care products made from chemicals may be cheaper, but remember that those chemicals will be absorbed into the bloodstream. Though the amount may be small, it is the cumulative effect of the chemicals that damages your health over the long run. If your body has a toxicity problem, you will notice the difference when you move to natural products on your body.

Good technique for cleansing the skin is to towel off roughly until the skin gets slightly red. It will only take you a few minutes more than usual.

Good body skin care also requires good nutrition and an abundance of water. Since your skin is mainly fat, you need high quality fats and oils from natural sources to keep your skin healthy. Olive oil is an excellent source as well as evening primrose and vitamin E, and combinations of essential fatty acids.

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