Largest organ (Our Skin) – by June Cheong in My Your Body of the Starits Times dated 3 Sept 2009 (Thur)

Our skin is the body's largest organ, but save for the portion holding our facial features together, we often tend to neglect it.

Both genes and environmental factors, like sun exposure and air humidity, determine our skin's condition and how fast it ages.

Dr Chee Yew Wen, the medical director of Wen and Weng Medical Group, said: 'There is a sort of biological clock that controls the ageing process; when it starts, the cells become less healthy, incur more damage and your general immune system starts deteriorating.

'The effect of this intrinsic ageing on the skin is largely a decrease in collagen, elastin and GAG (proteins which hydrate the skin), resulting in wrinkles and loss of skin elasticity.'

Dr Chia Hui Yi, a registrar at the National Skin Centre, added: 'Substances in the environment can irritate our skin or cause allergies. Ultraviolet radiation from the sun can cause premature skin ageing and contribute to the development of skin cancer.'

The skin begins to age when we reach our mid-20s. Collagen production falls by 1 per cent every year after the age of 21 and the skin's renewal process slows as we get older.

When asked which parts of our skin deteriorate faster, Dr Chia said: 'The parts that are always exposed to the sun because of increased damage to the skin.'

Dr Chee quipped: 'The saying goes that the skin on our buttocks is usually the nicest because it never sees the sun.'

He added that areas that experience a lot of movement or friction, such as the skin around the elbow, also deteriorate faster.

For exposed skin, some of the ultraviolet radiation in the sun's rays penetrate deeper into the skin and cause cellular damage. When this happens, collagen and elastin fibres in the skin are broken down. Melanin production is increased while the existing melanin in our skin is oxidised, resulting in the skin darkening in colour.

To cast a further pall on sun worshippers' passion for burnished skin, doctors Mind Your Body spoke to said that tanning, be it in a salon or outdoors, is generally a bad idea.

Dr Chee said: 'Both are bad when there is prolonged exposure. In a salon, the argument is that you can control the UV exposure.

'However, many salons use mainly UVA, which gives a false sense of security because the chance of sunburn (caused by UVB) is lower. Increased exposure to UVA can actually increase the rate of melanoma.'

From 2002 to 2006, an interim report by the Health Promotion Board said that skin cancer is the seventh and eighth most common cancer in men and women in Singapore respectively.

The causes of skin cancer include over-exposure to ultraviolet radiation, genetic predisposition, wounds that do not heal, cigarette smoking and viral infections.

Besides skin cancer, other skin problems that doctors often see include eczema, acne, viral warts, fungal infections, benign skin tumours and pigmentary disorders.

Many of these conditions can strike any part of your body's skin.

For example, acne can appear on the face, neck, chest and back.

Acne is an affliction of the oil glands in the skin and can show up as whiteheads, blackheads, red bumps or pus-filled lumps.

Dr Noor Hanif Said, a registrar at the National Skin Centre, said: 'Showering after heavy perspiration and gently exfoliating the skin help prevent clogged pores.

'When you exercise, wear breathable, loose-fitting clothes as friction from tight-fitting clothes traps bacteria on the surface of the skin and can cause irritation and acne breakouts. Dirt and bacteria stored in soiled sheets and towels can also contribute to clogged pores and increase the risk of body acne.'

Acne can be treated with topical or oral medication, depending on the severity of the condition.

Besides adhering to a regular skincare regimen and staying out of the sun, pampering your skin with aesthetic treatments may also restore its health and glow.

'Body treatments can improve skin conditions over time to a certain extent. For example, a good body scrub helps to exfoliate dead skin cells and moisturise the skin, leaving it soft and supple,' said Ms Jessica Loo, a principal consultant at spa Solace@Rest at Palais Renaissance.

Dr Chee added: 'Rejuvenative procedures usually work by inflicting controlled damage to the dermis (the deeper part of the skin).

'The inflammation that results from a laser beam or chemical peel tricks the skin into producing or renewing its collagen and elastin fibres, leading to younger skin.'

June Cheong