The human skin is a marvel of nature—resilient, adaptable, and multifunctional. As the body's largest organ, it serves as our first line of defense against external threats while maintaining an intricate system of regeneration and repair. I always thought skin just "absorbed" water during swimming, or while taking a bath—until I learned it's actually waterproof! Now you wouldn't think of your skin like a built-in raincoat which repels water.

But is our skin truly waterproof? And what makes it so? Let’s understand the science behind skin’s structure, its protective properties, and how to keep it healthy.

While the skin is an extraordinary waterproof organ, it requires care to maintain its integrity. Understanding its structure and functions can help us take proactive steps in ensuring long-term skin health. Skin is far more than just a superficial covering; it is a complex organ made up of multiple layers, each serving a distinct purpose. Understanding these layers helps us grasp how skin remains waterproof while maintaining flexibility and durability.

1. The Epidermis

The outermost layer of the skin, the epidermis, serves as a protective barrier. It consists of tightly packed cells arranged in several layers. New cells form at the bottom and gradually push upwards as older cells slough off. This continuous renewal helps maintain skin’s resilience.

One of the key components of the epidermis is keratin, a protein that is water-insoluble. According to StatPearls, keratin plays a crucial role in sealing the skin barrier, preventing water from entering or leaving the body uncontrollably. This process is essential for maintaining hydration and protecting against infections.

2. The Dermis

Beneath the epidermis lies the dermis, which provides strength and elasticity to the skin. It contains collagen (for structural integrity) and elastin (for flexibility). The dermis is also home to sweat glands, sebaceous glands, blood vessels, and nerve endings, making it essential for regulating temperature and providing sensory feedback.

3. The Subcutis

The subcutaneous layer (subcutis) is primarily composed of fat, which helps insulate the body and protect internal organs. It also provides a cushioning effect, absorbing mechanical shocks and giving the skin a smooth contour. The fat stored here serves as an energy reserve.

What Makes the Skin Waterproof?

While skin is not entirely impervious to water, its structure makes it highly water-resistant. Several factors contribute to this waterproofing effect:

1. Keratin

Keratin, found in the outer layers of the epidermis, is a crucial waterproofing element. It prevents excessive water loss from the body and keeps external water from penetrating too deeply. This feature ensures that even when we bathe or swim, we don’t absorb large amounts of water.

2. Sebum

Sebaceous glands produce sebum, an oily, water-insoluble substance that coats the skin. This natural oil forms a thin, protective layer that repels water and prevents excessive drying, keeping skin supple and resilient.

3. Lipid Organization

A 2012 study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology identified a unique arrangement of lipids in the outer skin layers. These fats create an additional barrier that not only resists water penetration but also enables skin to remain flexible and adaptive to movement.

Common Skin Problems and Their Impact

Despite its impressive protective abilities, skin is not immune to damage. Certain conditions can compromise its waterproof barrier, leading to increased sensitivity, dryness, or infections.

Acne – Often linked to hormonal changes, acne affects the sebaceous glands, potentially altering the skin’s natural oil balance.

Dermatitis – A broad term for inflammation-related skin conditions, dermatitis can weaken the skin barrier, making it more prone to water loss and irritants.

Fungal Infections – Conditions like athlete’s foot disrupt the skin’s natural defenses, allowing moisture retention that encourages fungal growth.

Skin Cancer – Long-term sun exposure can damage the DNA of skin cells, leading to abnormalities that weaken the skin’s protective abilities.

Sunburn – A result of UV radiation, sunburn can strip away essential oils and damage the outermost layer, causing peeling and dryness.

Warts – Caused by a viral infection, warts can disrupt normal skin function and alter texture.

How to Keep Your Skin Healthy and Hydrated

Maintaining skin health requires consistent care. While the skin naturally regenerates, external factors such as sun exposure, pollution, and aging can accelerate damage. Here’s how you can protect your skin:

1. Use Sunscreen Daily

UV exposure is one of the biggest threats to skin health. Choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher and apply it every day—even on cloudy days—to prevent premature aging and reduce the risk of skin cancer.

2. Avoid Tanning (Indoor and Outdoor)

Tanning, whether from the sun or tanning beds, damages the skin and accelerates the aging process. It also increases the risk of skin cancer. Opt for sunless tanners if you want a bronzed glow.

3. Manage Stress

Chronic stress can worsen skin conditions like acne and eczema. Practice relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga, or deep breathing to promote overall well-being.

4. Perform Regular Skin Checks

Monitor your skin for any changes in moles, discoloration, or new growths. Early detection of abnormalities can help prevent serious skin conditions.

5. Quit Smoking

Nicotine and other chemicals in cigarettes accelerate skin aging, reducing blood flow and depriving skin cells of oxygen. Quitting smoking helps maintain skin’s elasticity and overall health.

6. Follow a Gentle Skincare Routine

• Use mild cleansers that don’t strip the skin of natural oils.
• Moisturize regularly to prevent dryness and reinforce the skin barrier.
• Avoid hot showers, as excessive heat can remove essential oils from the skin.

“Heartbreaks happen to many people, it’s ok” or “You’ll move on, it’s a heartbreak, not the end of the world” and similar phrases as these are ones we have all heard. However, how much truth these sentences hold has been questioned. Many people experience mental health issues after experiencing heartbreak like depressive episodes and anxiety symptoms. However, did you know that heartbreaks can actually affect your heart?

The pain associated with heartbreaks is often thought of as psychological, but it can actually weaken the ability to pump blood effectively. This is a condition known as the broken heart syndrome, or Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy.

According to the Harvard Health Publishing, it is a sudden change in the shape of the heart's left ventricle, which is its primary pumping chamber. This is a concerning issue as it weakens the heart’s ability to effectively circulate blood throughout the body.

The British Heart Foundation explains that some people, like women over 50s are more susceptible to getting this issue. It could also be an issue if you have other mental health issues like anxiety or depression.

Symptoms Mimic A Heart Attack

Harvard explains that most cases of this syndrome occur in the age frames of 58 to 75. 5% of these women thought they were having a heart attack. The symptoms can indeed be very similar to those of a heart attack and may include:

• Sudden, intense chest pain
• A feeling of pressure or heaviness in the chest
• Difficulty breathing
• Heart palpitations (irregular or forceful heartbeat)
• Feeling faint or lightheaded
• Nausea

Can Stress Cause This Issue?

While the precise cause of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy remains under investigation, medical experts believe that a sudden surge of stress hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline, triggered by intense emotional distress, plays a significant role. The syndrome often occurs following significant emotional events like bereavement, serious illness, or trauma, which is why it's commonly referred to as 'broken heart syndrome'. But that is not the only reason why you may experience this, other causes may include sudden drop in blood pressure, severe pain, asthma attack, intense fear, serious illnesses or surgery, etc.

When doctors are diagnosing this syndrome, they look for things like, no evidence of blockages in the angiogram, which helps them rule out heart attacks, they also use imaging techniques like echocardiogram, that will show abnormalities in the left ventricle.

Fortunately, it is temporary. The condition is typically managed with medications aimed at reducing the strain on the heart and minimizing the risk of complications. These medications can include:

• Diuretics (to reduce fluid buildup)
• Beta blockers (to slow heart rate and lower blood pressure)
• Blood thinners (to prevent blood clots)

Can You Prevent Broken Heart Syndrome?

While most people recover fully, approximately one in ten patients may experience a recurrence of broken heart syndrome. Additionally, some individuals may have persistent symptoms or lasting changes to the shape of their heart, potentially requiring long-term medication.

Once a person has fully recovered from broken heart syndrome, it is advisable to focus on managing stress levels, adopting a healthy diet, and maintaining regular physical activity to help prevent future episodes.

Misleading signs are often worse than no signs, you may be working on the symptoms when the disease is already doing damage to your body. When something goes wrong in our body, most of us can catch onto it. However, we almost always tackle the most obvious issue, not knowing there could be something worse going on.

A similar issue happens to a UK-based woman, named, Loise who was suffering with high blood pressure and dismissed it as a symptom of menopause. Soon she found out that it was in fact not menopause that she was going through, rather she had been battling kidney cancer and did not know about it.

Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide with nearly 10 million deaths in 2020. Cancer is a generic term for many different diseases that affect parts of one's body, according to the World Health Organization. Kidney cancer is the sixth most common cancer in UK adults and 14th most common cancer worldwide. According to Cancer Research UK, the average number of cases reported for kidney cancer in 2017-19 UK was 13,834. It is also more common in the elderly, aged 80-84, and there has been a 92% rise in the incidence rates of kidney cancer since the 1990s.

Misleading Symptoms and Important Warnings

In the Kidney Cancer UK's TikTok page, Louise's highlights the critical importance of recognizing that not all symptoms in middle-aged women are solely due to hormonal changes. In her case, the elevated blood pressure was an indicator of an aggressive form of kidney cancer.

Often, kidney cancer doesn't manifest with clear and distinct symptoms, and it is frequently discovered incidentally during tests conducted for other health concerns. Louise emphasized the challenge of diagnosis, "Symptoms are unfortunately vague, especially for women, as it includes high blood pressure, night sweats, blood in your urine and flank pain. GPs often relate these to menopause symptoms." She strongly advises everyone to "regularly scan your body" and to pay attention to persistent discomfort. She urged, "How long have those niggling pains been there? Get them checked - always better to be safe than sorry!"

What To Expect After The Diagnosis?

Reflecting on her own diagnosis, Louise recounted having "high blood pressure but unseen blood" in her urine. She explained how her cancer was detected, "I was lucky routine bloods picked up an issue with my liver, prompting ultrasound."

Her treatment journey involved significant surgical interventions, "I have now had two major surgeries to remove cancer and my kidney within the last 15 months. I'm three weeks post open surgery and recovering well." The outcome of recent tests brought encouraging news, "The news that all the biopsies came back as not cancer has been amazing."

Currently, Louise is managing side effects from her immunotherapy treatment. Looking ahead, Louise remains realistic but hopeful "My cancer was the most aggressive at grade 4 so there will always be a high chance of it coming back, but medications and research is changing all the time and I have faith that the surveillance scans will help us nip anything untoward in the bud!"

Kidney Cancer Symptoms You Should Look Out For

While kidney cancer often progresses without noticeable symptoms, the NHS indicates that when they do appear, they can include:

• Blood in your pee
• A lump or swelling in your back, under your ribs, or in your neck
• Persistent pain between your ribs and waist
• Unexplained loss of appetite or weight loss
• Persistent fatigue or lack of energy
• A recurring high temperature
• Excessive sweating, particularly at night

Throughout the first week of April, the state of Kentucky witnessed flooding, due to heavy rains, specifically in the Franklin County. The reason being, it is located on the Kentucky River for over 200 years. While such natural disasters can cause distress in terms of physical safety, expert also reveals that such natural disasters could impact one's mental health too.

Natural disasters like Kentucky's recent flooding can have serious impacts on victim's mental health, reveals Christal Badour, associate professor of psychology at the University of Kentucky and a trauma recovery research.

As reported in Weku NPR, the UK psychologist explains that reactions to traumatic events typically fall into short-term and long-term symptoms. These include people feeling overwhelmed, anxiety, and difficulty communicating. While most people eventually recover without lasting effects, some may struggle for a longer duration.

These long-term issues include depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Badour also notes that people who already had a mental health difficulty before the natural disaster could also further feel isolated. Along with that, individuals with fewer financial resources could be at more risk of long-term problems.

Are These Long-term Symptoms Common?

According to a report from Clinical Psychology Review, 20 to 80% of people will experience long-term symptoms after a disaster. These rates could vary depending on the type of disaster one faces. PTSD symptoms often improve after the first year, however, depression and anxiety are more likely to linger.

What Do Other Experts Say?

There have been previous studies too that confirm the same. As per a 2024 study, titled Impact of Natural Disasters on Mental Health: Evidence and Implications, by Eamin Z Heanoy and Norman R Brown, notes: "Natural disasters are large-scale catastrophic events, and they are increasing in frequency and severity. Converging evidence indicates that the mental health consequences of disasters are extensive and are often associated with trauma and the disruption of personal and socioeconomic factors in people’s lives."

However, the study also notes that although most individuals who experience disaster-related traumatic events do not develop mental illnesses, some could experience adverse psychological effects of the disaster.

Another expert, Nomy Levy-Carric, MD, MPhil, writes for Mass General Brigham, which is an institute dedicated to serving the community and enhancing patient care, teaching, and research, notes that natural disaster can indeed leave a lasting impact on individuals, families, and often an entire community.

Levy Carrick notes: "A person’s reaction depends on many factors, including their past experiences, what is happening in their life at that moment, the nature of their exposure, and the support available to them as they rebuild. The sudden loss of control and uncertainty can be overwhelming, making it harder to cope in both the short and long term."

What Are The Types Of Natural Disasters?

• Hurricanes and tropical storms
• Earthquakes
• Tornadoes
• Wildfire
• Floods
• Blizzards and winter storms
• Drought and extreme heat
• Landslides and mudslides

The doctor notes the Psychological First Aid or PFA provides a structured way to support emotional recovery immediately after a disaster.

However, notes Badour, there is still a major gap in treatment. Most disaster relief services only last up to one year.

“After that year has passed, a lot of people feel like there's no one there to help them, especially if you're in a community that was already lacking in mental health support and resources,” she said.