Facts about skin

At RAFT, we are experts in skin. To help you understand some of the research we are carrying out, here are a few handy facts about skin.

• The skin is the body’s largest organ
• Skin acts as a protective layer; it keeps out germs, senses our environment, and regulates body temperature
• Every square centimetre of skin has more than 200 nerve endings and almost 1.5 metres of blood vessels
• The average adult skin weighs about 4 kilograms and laid out flat would cover an area almost as big as a single bedsheet
• When exposed to sunlight, skin manufactures vitamin D, an essential nutrient
• The outer layer of skin, the epidermis, is shed continuously and replaced completely over the course of a month
• The skin protects the inner organs from the sun's harmful rays but can be permanently damaged by too much sun
• Wearing sunscreen can help prevent sunlight from forming damaging free radicals in the skin. Sun exposure is thought to be the cause of nine of every ten cases of skin cancer
• There are up to 5 million sweat glands in your skin
• Millions of hairs cover the skin, but not the lips, palms of the hands or soles of the feet
• Skin is waterproof but the outer layer can absorb water and swell up causing it to wrinkle if you spend too long in the bath. Toxic chemicals can also enter the body through the skin

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