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Possibly the most important function of the skin is to provide a barrier from the environment and the internal organs. This will shield the organs from physical injury.

The skin also protects the organs against the invasion of harmful bacteria which are constantly looking for an opportunity to enter a willing host to provide all that is needed for them to survive and reproduce.

The organs are also protected by the skin from the harmful rays of the sun. There are special cells in the skin that produce melanin, which is the proactive substance, and this also determines our skin colour and responsible for that sun tan that many crave from their summer holidays. People who suffer with a skin condition called vitiligo have an absence of the cells that produce melanin. This leads to skin that has no protection from the sun. Ironically the areas of the skin usually effected are the sun exposed areas eg- face, hands etc.

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