How To Protect My Appearance

Our body is a wonderful biological creation made to live and continue life. Its our responsibility to lead a healthy life protecting appearance which contributes to personality.

Skin

The skin is the largest organ of our body. It protects our whole body, covers it, gives it a shape and the external appearance. 

Depending on the purpose it shows adaptations. The skin is thick where it is exposed to friction, e.g soles of the feet and palms of the hands. The hair follicles in the skin protects the body. The skin regenerates and gets rid of old skin eg: keratinized layer. Skin is different in each person. People have dry, oily, sensitive or normal skin

Functions of the skin 

• Gives an external appearance to the body 

• Protects the internal organs 

• Helps in getting rid of excretory material e.g sweat 

• Controls the internal body temperature- when cold the skin protects the body by conserving heat 

• As a sensory organ the skin reacts to heat, cold and pain from the external environment 

• Helps in producing vitamin D from sunlight

Skin related diseases 

• Pityriasis 

• Scabies 

• Eczema 

• Sweat rash 

• Skin cancers 

• Leucoderma 

• Psoriasis 

• Allergic dermatitis

Healthy ways of preventing skin diseases

 

1. Take nutritious food

 

The skin should be supplied regularly with all the nutrients it needs. Foods contains Vitamin A, D, minerals and proteins should be consumed. 

2. Drinking adequate amounts of water

 

Water is necessary to maintain good functioning of the body as well as a healthy skin. Water prevents drying of the skin and makes it bright. 

3. Keep your skin clean  

 

Skin can be kept clean by bathing daily or having a body wash twice a day. Quality products should be used for the skin. Obtain medical advice when using types of bactericidal soap as they can harm the useful bacteria present on the skin

4. Protect the skin from harsh sunlight 

Early morning sunlight helps in producing vitamin D but very strong sunlight which has ultraviolet rays can be harmful to the skin. The skin can get burnt in strong sunlight. It is important to wear protective clothing to protect yourself from strong sunlight. Falling of sun rays directly on the skin can be prevented by wearing white coloured clothes which reflects the sun rays and by carrying an umbrella. If you are getting exposed to strong sunlight it is advisable that you wear a sun protection cream as prescribed by a doctor. 

5. Protect from accidents 

You should try to minimize injury to your skin due to falls, pricks, cuts and burns. Some injuries remain as scars on the skin for a long period of time.

6. Refraining from applying unnecessary makeup, creams etc 

You may want to try various types of makeup and creams from different countries and institutions advertised on the internet and social media to make you look younger. You have to be careful as they may cause not only discolourations in the skin but also other diseases due to chemical toxins entering in the blood. If you need to apply such creams etc obtain medical advice and use approved products. School children should refrain from using unnecessary makeup.  

Eyes 

The sensory organ that help us see is the eye. The fact that we can see an object at once with both eyes is known as binocular vision. Objects can be viewed in three dimension with both eyes as well as can judge the distance to the object. Due to this we can judge what we can see to do delicate work precisely.

The eye brows and the lashes are placed to protect the eyes from foreign bodies or germs. The eye brows are placed above the eye and slightly forwards. If a foreign body enters the eyes the eye lashes start blinking very fast and works towards getting it out. If the object is still present the tear glands start to secrete tears and the object comes out. If an object is about to strike the eye, instantly the eye closes and it reduces any injuries to the eye.

 Diseases related to the eyes

• Red eye, secretions, sties

• Colour blindness, night blindness

• Short sightedness, long-sightedness and blindness

• Irregularities

• Disfigurements.

• Nutritional deficiencies

 eg: bitot’s spots

• Cataract

• Glaucoma

• Squint - it is important to consult an eye surgeon to know if this is a disease

 state. Otherwise it could result in blindness.

Healthy practices to protect the eyes 

 1. Consume food enriched with vitamin A such as green leafy vegetables, carrots and yellow coloured vegetables and fruits daily in adequate amounts.

 2. Protect the eyes from accidents and avoid from work that can cause harm to the eyes 

 3. Prevent chemicals and harmful rays from entering the eyes and wear appropriate eye wear when working with chemicals eg: in welding, at iron workshops. 

 4. Wear standard sunglasses on medical advice to prevent harm to your eyes from strong sunlight 

 5. Use protective glasses or screen when using the computer 

 6. Take regular breaks when working with computers 

 7. Keep a distance of about two and a half times the length of the television screen between yourself and the television eg: if the television is 30 inches you should watch the TV from minimum distance of 75 inches (six feet) 

 8. Seek medical help if you get a headache, in case an object gets into your eye, something bangs against the eye, notice tearing or secretions, redness in the eye, formation of a stye, excessive blinking, colour blindness, squint or if the vision is blurred 

 9. If something falls into the eye wash it with clean running water. Never use other liquids, substances or home remedies. Always follow medical instructions when using eye drops. 

10. Choose sunglasses, contact lenses and spectacles as advised by your eye surgeon. Spectacles should be changed at least every two years after seeking medical advice. 

 There are small torches that emit infra-red waves being sold at shops. It is important that you use it solely for the intended purpose and not expose the rays directly on the eye. ³ During an eclipse never look at the sun directly. Keep a basin of water or a sheet like a x ray sheet and view the sun if needed. Looking directly at the sun can harm your eyes.

Fingers and toes 

• Power grip and precision grip are special features in the human fingers. Power grip means the ability to hold firmly using the large muscles of the hand. Precision grip helps in holding an object or doing a task and is done using the small muscles of the hand. 

• The opposing thumb is a feature of primates. The thumb can be moved so that it can be placed opposite the other fingers and can perform similar tasks of other four fingers. 

• The tips of the fingers and toes have a lot of nerve endings and is able to feel sensations. eg: sensation of heat, cold, pain 

• There are lines between the phalanges in the fingers and toes. These help to cause friction. Therefore when you hold something with your fingers they are gripped firmly due to the friction. 

• The nails placed at the tips of the fingers and toes gives protection to them. 

Instances where the fingers get injured 

• When using the knife or sharp objects 

• When fingers and toes are caught in machines 

• When using the hammer 

Ways of protecting the fingers and toes 

1. Pay attention and take care when using knives, hammers and scissors 

2. Keep your fingers, toes and nails clean 

3. Do not wear gloves, shoes and boots for longer periods