• Question: Why does skin close in when you get old?

    Asked by to Andrei, Ekbal, Gemma, Helen, Ruth on 23 Jun 2014. This question was also asked by .
    • Photo: Helen Gath

      Helen Gath answered on 23 Jun 2014:


      Excellent question, though I am not quite certain what you specifically mean by ‘closing in’? So I shall give you and answer hope it is relevant!

      Maintaining a constant body temperature of 37°c is vital for keeping our bodies working at their best. Skin covers our entire body, giving it an extensive surface area over which heat can be lost from our body. Just beneath the skin are thousands of capillaries – tiny vessels/tubes carrying blood around the body. Our blood is responsible for moving heat around our bodies, away from where there is too much, or towards areas that are too cool.

      If we are cold, our capillaries contract and move away slightly from skin’s surface surface. This reduces how close the blood gets to the skin, and therefore reduces the amount of heat we lose.

      Opposite to this is when we are hot; our capillaries ‘dilate’ (get larger) and more blood flows near the skin’s surface. This allows heat to leave the body easily and cool us down.

      Another common way for us to keep warm is to use our body hair. Do you notice how you get goose-pimples when you’re cold? This is because your hairs are standing upright rather than flat against your skin, trapping a layer of air that will help keep you warm. Shivering is also common. We involuntarily start rapidly contracting and relaxing our muscles, which makes them work which produces heat. That’s why someone might say ‘jump around’ if you’re feeling cold – it gets the muscles working and blood flowing.

      I hope that answers your query, but please say if I have got it wrong. I find human physiology (how the body works) sooo interesting!

      Helen

    • Photo: Gemma Marsden

      Gemma Marsden answered on 24 Jun 2014:


      Hi tmacd11,
      Like Helen, I’m not quite sure what you mean but here goes….
      Skin heals itself by using parts of the blood which form a plug and cause a scab. People that suffer from haemophilia lack clotting factors meaning that don’t form clots and scabs properly.

      As we age, our skin loses its elasticity , this is because collagen becomes more rigid and shrinks with age. This means you can see lines and wrinkles forming.

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