Skin is not only wise – its talent is the body’s best kept secret. Your skin is your body’s top agent, informant, healer, and confidant. Your skin is quite literally YOUR best protector and dearest most trusted friend. It is actually part of your body’s first line of defense. (Click here to read about the role of the skin – and its teammates, along with their many jobs and talents).
As the largest organ in the body it protects, heals, and even warns you about danger. It tells you when you are embarrassed (blushes), nervous or upset (prickly sensation or even a rash), reminds you when you are too cold (goose bumps) and cools you when you are too hot (sweat). Click here for additional details.
Your skin manufactures Vitamin D (which is really a hormone – click here for details), and informs you about what foods are right for you (pimples and boils suggest the body is ‘inflamed’ by particular foods. Click here for details). Your skin reports to you on a daily basis. It gives you the status of the external and internal balance of your body. For example, it reports on the balance of bacteria and fungus on the surface and within mucus membranes (yeast infections, local irritation and infections of hair follicles are the ‘report card’ offered by the skin). (Click here for more information).
Skin tells you when there is a solid foreign invader (one single thin tiny splinter can’t even escape the skin’s report to your brain). When blood sugar is too high for too long, flesh wounds heal slower. Ever wonder why? (Click here and freely ask your doctor to clarify). Skin even sends you red flags about your immune system inside your gut! Imagine that. Your skin is a valuable secret agent that informs you about the status of YOUR intestines and stomach. Who knew? (Click here for additional information).
In order to honor and respect this valuable organ, the next time it gives you either a repeat or a confusing message, ask your healthcare provider to help translate so that you can appropriately pay attention to the wisdom of your precious skin. Sadly, so many people miss out on learning the language of their body, and this complicates the journey later on.
Once you truly appreciate your body as a tremendous communication system designed to heal itself with your help, the next time it offers you a personalized a message, you will take the time and have the patience to listen. You already have a few ‘body language phrases’ translated, (as in ‘cold’ or ‘hot’) along with prepared responses. For example, when cold, you put on a sweater. When hot and sweaty, you take off a layer, jump into a pool, take a shower or just get out of the sun into the shade. Perfect!
The next time a new message (or previously unable to be successfully addressed familiar message) takes your focus away from other things, and repeatedly sucks your energy – distracting you from joy, balance, sleep etc., instead of just telling it to ‘shut up’ (with familiar topical creams, pills, and/or ointments from your cabinet or over-the-counter that only work temporarily &/or just take the edge off) wouldn’t it be wonderful to learn the language of YOUR skin, how to respectfully listen to the messages, and then together with your trusted healthcare provider, decide how to help your body heal itself as it was designed to do?
Here’s to your health and balance of mind, body and spirit. ~Dr. Iankowitz
Additional references:
- Vitamin D and Skin: Evidence-based abstract
- Scientific resource: Vitamin D, Skin, Health Benefits
- Skin Health: Dr. Hyman
- Hidden Yeast Infections – How to Address & Fix Them
Dr. Nancy Iankowitz DNP, RN, FNP-BC 