Have You Considered a Complete Skin Evaluation? | Tips from Your Southlake, TX Dermatologist

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There are many services provided by a dermatologist. One of the ways they can help is by providing you with a complete skin evaluation. In short, the said service is exactly what it sounds like, which is to say, a head-to-toe examination of the patient’s skin, hair, and nails for moles, growths, changes in pigmentation, and other potential issues. By doing so, a dermatologist can provide Southlake, TX residents with an up-to-date assessment of the condition of their skin, thus empowering them with the knowledge needed to protect their skin health.

Why Is Skin Health So Important?

Here are some of the reasons that people should care about their skin:

It Protects Us from Pathogens

The skin is the human body’s first line of defense from the pathogens that seek to break in. First, the cells that make up the epidermis have a close connection with one another, thus enabling them to form a very simple but nonetheless very effective barrier that can’t be penetrated by pathogens under normal circumstances. Second, the dermis contains sebaceous glands that produce sebum, which is useful for keeping the skin well-moisturized as well as creating a slightly acidic environment that is inhospitable for most pathogens. Third, the skin provides a home for more benign microbes that pose no threat to human health under normal circumstances, thus making it that much more difficult for their much more dangerous counterparts to get a foothold. Fourth, there are Langerhans cells in the skin that call in white blood cells whenever they sense the presence of microbes that have managed to penetrate the initial layer of skin, meaning that they are effectively a warning system for the subsequent lines of defense. Summed up, the skin is one of the most important components of the immune system, which is why Southlake, TX residents should prioritize the protection of its health with the professional assistance of a dermatologist.

It Protects Us from the Elements

Speaking of which, the skin serves to protect the rest of the human body from the elements as well. For example, its presence prevents grit and other small pieces of debris from coming into contact with the more sensitive components of the human body that are positioned inside rather than outside, which can do a great deal of damage given sufficient time. Likewise, the skin does a lot to minimize water loss, thus enabling people to continue functioning for long periods of time without having to constantly rehydrate themselves.

With that said, what is particularly notable is how the skin protects us from UV radiation, which is weak enough that some of it can penetrate the Earth’s protective atmosphere but still energetic enough to wreak havoc with living tissues. Our skin protects us from UV radiation in a number of ways. One, it produces melanin that can be used to prevent UV radiation from reaching vulnerable cells. Two, it can thicken its outermost layer of dead skin cells to create a deeper barrier that the UV radiation will have to penetrate before reaching the more vulnerable cells. Three, the skin is actually capable of engaging in some degree of repair-work when UV radiation manages to get through its defenses anyways, thus reducing the extent of the damage.

Unfortunately, the fact of the matter is that the skin’s natural capabilities aren’t always enough, meaning that the recommendations of a dermatologist can be so important for those who want to keep it as healthy as possible in spite of its constant exposure to the elements.

It Produces Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a critical nutrient for human health. Primarily, interested individuals will have heard about how it helps us to absorb calcium, meaning that those who get enough vitamin D will develop strong, healthy bones whereas those who don’t get enough vitamin D will develop soft, brittle bones. In fact, the problem was so common in the London of the Industrial Revolution thanks to its near-permanent shroud of smog that the Germans and the Dutch were known to call it the English disease. Besides ensuring strong bones, vitamin D plays an important role in other functions such as enabling muscles to move, enabling nerves to transmit messages, and enabling the immune system to fight off pathogens.

For the most part, we don’t get vitamin D by eating it in the same way that we get so many of our other nutrients. There are some foods such as mushrooms, fatty fish, and fortified products that contain vitamin D. However, we get most of our vitamin D by making it when our skin is exposed to a certain kind of ultraviolet radiation. Due to this, the continuing health of our skin is actually critical for ensuring that we can get all of the nutrients that we need, which is one more reason that Southlake, TX residents can benefit from the help of a dermatologist.

It Makes Us Look Good

With that said, the importance of a dermatologist’s assistance isn’t always grounded in maintaining the normal functions of the human body. Simply put, our skin is one of our greatest assets when it comes to our appearance, which makes sense because it is literally what enables us to put our best face forward. Naturally, this means that consulting a dermatologist is critical for anyone who fears that they have some kind of skin problem that could affect how they look in a negative manner. Some people might see this as being shallow, but since how we look has an enormous effect on our confidence as well as our social interaction with other people, it is an eminently practical consideration.

Contact Us

Interested in learning more about how Compassion Dermatology can carry out a complete skin evaluation? Please contact us with any further inquiries. For that matter, please remember that a dermatologist can provide a wide range of other skin-related services, meaning that those who have any other questions about what a dermatologist can and cannot do shouldn’t hesitate to get in touch with us call 817-380-5911 or book an appointment online by clicking here.