The global skincare market is monumental and growing, projected to generate an annual market value of $273.3 billion by 2031, according to a report by Allied Market Research. Creams and moisturizers dominate the industry, signaling the desire of customers to achieve and maintain youthful wrinkle-free skin. But skin is built from the inside-out, and creams and moisturizers only penetrate the most superficial layers.
Learn about human skin anatomy, factors that promote healthy skin cell production, and how hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for skin can help ward off signs of aging and support skin elasticity.
Role of the Skin in Human Health
Your skin is the largest organ in your body, providing a protective barrier against pathogens, environmental toxins and the elements. It helps to regulate your immune system and functions as an important endocrine organ that produces various essential hormones, including vitamin D, sex steroids, retinoids and opioids. The skin is also a target tissue for hormones produced elsewhere in the body.
The skin’s elastic properties work together with the myofascial system to control and regulate movement. Its remarkable ability to stretch and return to its resting state is well illustrated by pregnancy and childbirth. The skin is highly adaptive to biological and environmental demands, with varying thicknesses and specialized functions in different areas of the body.
Your skin is richly embedded with proprioceptors and neurotransmitters that convey information to the brain about the position of your body in space, and send feedback about the surrounding environment that helps to regulate your sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. Skin helps to regulate your core body temperature by releasing heat through perspiration, insulating it from extreme cold and heat, and preserving optimal fluid levels.
Skin conditions ranging from acne to psoriasis are often manifestations of endocrine disorders or imbalances in the gut microbiome. The skin produces melanin as a biochemical reaction to sunlight that triggers the production of protective pigment. Sunlight also stimulates the production of vitamin D, an important fat-soluble vitamin that promotes intestinal absorption of calcium, magnesium, and phosphate, supports immune function, and facilitates multiple metabolic processes.
The Skin’s Amazing Anatomy
The well-known adage “beauty is only skin deep” implies that beauty is superficial, but the skin goes much deeper than its superficial layers, and its outer beauty depends on the health of its deep layers.
The skin is made up of three primary layers:
- The subcutaneous layer, aka hypodermis, is mostly made up of fat and connective tissue. Subcutaneous fat acts as a shock absorber to protect bones and joints from outside forces. It insulates the body to regulate temperature, stores energy, manufactures hormones and attaches the skin to underlying muscles and bones. Connective tissue in the hypodermis is made up of collagen and elastin fibers that give skin its smooth and elastic properties.
- The dermis is the skin’s middle layer, made up mostly of collagen and elastin fibers. In some areas of the body the dermis merges with musculoskeletal connective tissue, anchoring it to structures of the inner body. The dermis has a rich network of capillaries that deliver oxygen and nutrients to the cells. It is also heavily embedded with sensory nerve cells.
- The epidermis is the outermost layer of the skin. It provides a waterproof barrier between the inner body and the environment, and is a visible reflection of your overall health. The epidermis is mostly made up of keratin-producing cells (keratinocytes) that are continually pushed to the skin’s surface by newer cells produced in the lower layers of the epidermis. New cells make their way to the skin’s surface over the course of about 4 weeks, where they eventually die and are shed.
Factors that Damage Skin and Promote Aging
Signs of skin aging include pigmented age spots, lines and wrinkles, chronic dryness, sagging and loss of elasticity. It is important to note that the skin contains about 65% water, and maintaining a high level of moisture is fundamental to warding off skin aging. While there are many things you can do to slow the aging process and minimize its symptoms, some skin aging is inevitable.
At the end of the day, your body’s structures are made up of the nutrients and fluids you consume, and your cells rely on a steady supply of oxygen to produce energy and survive. Adopting healthy lifestyle habits can go a long way toward preserving youthful skin and promoting overall health.
How Hyperbaric Oxygen Promotes Youthful Skin
Every cell in the human body relies on oxygen for survival. Oxygen is essential to mitochondrial function and energy production. Mitochondria are tiny organelles found in every cell that use oxygen to repair DNA, convert food to fuel, and maintain cellular health and function. Mitochondria have been identified as key mediators of the aging process.
The air you breathe all day long is a mixture of gasses, aerosols and pollutants, with only about 21 percent oxygen. During hyperbaric oxygen therapy, you are enclosed in a pressurized chamber where the concentration of pure oxygen is amplified to 95 -100 percent.
Once it saturates your lungs, hyperbaric oxygen permeates your blood plasma, lymphatic fluid, cerebrospinal fluid, tissues and organs. This intense infusion of pure oxygen triggers a cascade of biological responses that enhance cellular function and promote overall health.
HBOT benefits for skin include:
- Enhanced mitochondrial function
- Release of biological growth factors for cellular repair
- Enhanced immune function
- Improved cellular respiration
- Reduced systemic inflammation
Put simply, healthy skin is made up of healthy cells. HBOT optimizes cellular function throughout your body, including your skin. Adding HBOT to your self-care regimen is a savvy move that can help keep you looking as young as you feel.
Get Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Skin Health in NYC
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been used in the medical arena for decades, but recent advancements in technology have ushered HBOT into the health and wellness space, making it available to the general public without a medical prescription.
The air in urban environments like NYC is often contaminated with toxins and pollutants that reduce its quality, impacting human health. HBOT delivers pure oxygen to your cells to promote healing and restore healthy function. Invita Wellness is your go-to clinic for HBOT and other holistic therapies that promote health, beauty and longevity in NYC.
Invita Wellness is your go-to clinic for HBOT
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Resources
Asadamongkol, Bralipisut, and John H. Zhang. “The development of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for skin rejuvenation and treatment of photoaging.” Medical gas research 4 (2014): 1-6.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/2045-9912-4-7
Datta, Debatri, Bhushan Madke, and Anupam Das. “Skin as an endocrine organ: A narrative review.” Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology 88.5 (2022): 590-597.
https://ijdvl.com/skin-as-an-endocrine-organ-a-narrative-review/
Grahnert, Andreas, et al. “NAD+: a modulator of immune functions.” Innate immunity 17.2 (2011): 212-233.
