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The Integumentary System
By Shelby Owens, CCE

*Note: This article appeared in the winter 1996 Perspectives.

The word integumentary (the skin) is derived from "in" or "en", which means "covering". The word "system" is defined as a collection of cells that perform a particular function.

1.     Digestive
2.     Endocrine
3.     Integumentary
4.     Lymphatic
5.     Muscular
6.     Nervous
7.     Reproductive
8.     Respiratory
9.     Skeletal
10.   Vascular (circulatory)

(The renes is sometimes classified with the reproductive system and other times with the vascular system. It would be logical to associate it with the vascular system, since blood is filtered through the kidneys.)

   These ten systems are all dependent on each other to allow the human body to function in the most diverse conditions. The human body is extremely adaptable. It can adjust from periods of high stress, from the extreme temperatures found in a hot shower to a frigid ski slope, and from a state of illness to one of excellent health. Of these ten systems, the integumentary system is the largest.
   Most electrologists are familiar with the skin and its appendages such as hair, fingernails, and toenails. Electrologists tend to view the skin they treat as an abstract object with little thought of the mechanisms that allow skin to protect the body, repair itself, or replace appendages.
   The skin of all races possesses similar characteristics such as the same number of hair follicles, glands and responsive cells that produce pigment. However, the integumentary systems of different races react differently to various stimuli. For example, women of Asian heritage seldom have large terminal facial hair, no matter what they do externally to stimulate the hair growth, whereas many European Caucasian and Mediterranean females grow large terminal hairs on their faces at the slightest provocation. Females of African heritage also grow terminal facial hairs, but not to the extent that Caucasians do, according to studies done by Dr. Robert Greenblatt. [1]
   There are distinct differences in the integumentary systems of males and females, mostly because of reproductive hormone influence. Males experience more oil and hair because of higher levels of androgens. Hair follicles and the sebaceous glands within are androgen responsive.
   The human intgumentary system is also host to varied flora and fauna, including fungi, yeasts, good and bad bacteria, and viruses.
   The human body has approximately 100 different types of tissue (although some consider fluids such as blood and lymph to be a fifth type of tissue). These tissues include the ephithelial, connective, muscle, and nerve. These tissues are all found in the integumentary system.

1. Epithelium tissue consists of sheets of cells overlaying a non-cellular layer, or basement membrane. In the integument, this epithelium layer provides a protective covering and contains various sensory nerve endings. This tissue is called the epidermis. The epidermis is a part of the ectoderm, which includes the epidermis, hair, and nails.
2. Connective tissue binds together and supports all other types of tissues. Connective tissues are embedded in an array of cellular tissue called the ground substance. Four types of connective tissue are present in the dermis or cutis. These are collagen, elastin, blood and lymph, comprising the endoderm.
3. Muscle tissue is present in the integument in the form of smooth, or involuntary muscles called the arrectores pilorum that are attached to the hair follicles. These muscles make hair stand on end.
4. Nervous tissue or neurons are cells specialized to carry nerve impulses from one part of the body to another. There are three types of neurons in the integumentary system. The neurons are situated in both the epidermis and dermis.
a. Motor neurons, which carry impulses outward to the muscles. These make hairs stand on end, or help fingers grasp a tiny object. The first is a process of the sympathetic nervous system, in which adrenaline is released by the adrenal gland as a result of an emotional response to make hairs stand on end. Grasping is a voluntary action initiated in the brain. A good example of the use of both the voluntary and the sympathetic nervous system is when you scratch your head because it itches.
b. Sensory neurons, which carry impulses to the brain, allow our fingertips to detect differences in textures, or to tell if something is hot or cold. The hair follicles are surrounded by sensory neurons that first allow the patient to know that the needle electrode has been inserted. When heat is generated in the follicle by either the thermal process or chemical action of galvanic current, the patient is aware of discomfort in the follicle. The same sensory neurons will also tell the patient if the current is too strong or if the skin being treated has been traumatized enough. Rather than concentrating on how to eliminate the "pain," the smart electrologist will use these sensory neurons as tools in treatment.
c. Interneurons receive messages from the sensory neurons and send out the appropriate impulses to other interneurons or motor neurons. For instance, an impulse might be the response to touching a surface that is too hot. These interneurons cause the motor neurons to tell the muscles to contract, which moves your hand away from the hot surface automatically, before your brain has had a chance to process the information.
   This automatic response is what causes the jerking movements often seen in electrolysis patients in areas other than the work area. Example: this is what makes the patient's leg jerk while you are working on eyebrows or their nose itch while you are working on the upper lip.
   The subcutaneous layer of the dermis is composed of cells that collect adipose or fat tissue. These cells are more receptive to capturing and storing fat in some body areas than others. Fat globules from our diet transports vitamins, minerals and other nutrients throughout the body and stores them along with hormones in the skin. It is known that women with a higher percentage of fat do not suffer from osteoporosis because the fat has stored estrogen type hormones to retard bone loss.
   The next layer is the fascia tissue, which is membraneous and heavier than basement cell membrane, connects to muscle and bone.

The Glands
The integumentary system holds three types of glands that electrologists need to be familiar with:
1. Eccrine or external sweat glands are the most numerous and are concentrated in the palms of the hands and soles of the feet, sparse on arms and legs, but most numerous in the underarm and groin areas. These begin deep in the subcutaneous layer and serve to secrete moisture that contains salt and other waste from the body.
This evaporating moisture also serves to help regulate body temperature. Often the patient will perspire during treatment because the current traveling through the body has increased the temperature of the internal organs. Heated blood from the internal organs flows to the skin, is cooled and returned to the internal organs where it again absorbs heat.
2. Apocrine sweat glands form at puberty and secrete a milky substance that is responsible for body odor and lubrication of the skin areas. These glands empty into hair follicles in the underarm and pubic areas and are better developed in women than in men.
3. Sebaceous or oil glands empty into hair follicles. The sebum that the body produces is actually waste product that is used to lubricate the skin. Sebum contains fatty acids, triglycerides, waxes, cholesterol, all of which is synthesized from fat globules and cellular debris.
Specialized versions of all three types of glands appear in other areas of the body, such as the eyes, nipples of the female and genital areas of both sexes.

The Circulatory System
The Vascular (circulatory) system transports nutrients to the integumentary system. We could visualize this vascular system as a long river that is circling throughout the body, driven by a large pump called a heart. This "river" of blood cells picks up oxygen from the respiratory system, nutrients from the digestive system, hormones from the endocrine system and liver. Blood cells, which are manufactured in the bone marrow, transport hormones, enzymes and amino acids, glucose, salts, vitamins, antibodies and wastes to allow cells throughout the body to reproduce and maintain orderly function. Some white blood cells are generated in he lymph system.
   Blood travels outward to the skin through arteries, depositing essentials for cell reproduction. Small hair-like capillaries, called arterioles, in the skin deliver the enriched blood to the cells and pick up carbon dioxide. The spent blood then exits the capillary wall attached to the arteries, deposit fluid into the dermis, enters another small capillary called venules, then flows through veins to be filtered through the kidneys. The filtered blood then returns to the heart, only to be oxygenated, loaded with nutrients, to make a return trip.
The fluid that is deposited into the dermis by spent blood then is filtered through the lymph nodes to trap potential pathogens or carcinogens, which are digested by white blood cells designed for just that purpose.
The blood enables the integumentary system to excrete waste and regulate body temperature.

Waste Removal
The fluid from the blood stream enables waste produced by the integumentary system to be excreted through sebum. Sebum is a mixture of fatty acids, triglycerides, waxes, cholesterol and cellular debris produced by the synthesis of fat globules in the sebaceous glands. Fat globules, called lipoproteins bind to certain amino acids in order to transport them to target cells.
   Ionized salts (sodium and potassium) are also excreted through the eccrine sweat glands. Sodium and potassium are necessary for conduction of electrical current through the body.

Temperature Control
The fluid brought to the skin by the bloodstream also plays a key role in regulatingbody temperature. The eccrine sweat glands secrete moisture constantly to keep the epidermis moist. Ordinarily this moisture is not noticeable, however when the temperature of internal organs rises above 98.6F, the blood rushes to the skin, heating it up, then fluid is released through the eccrines in noticeable amounts. This perspiration then evaporates, cooling the skin in the process.
   This temperative control mechanism may be evidence that blood supply is relevant to hair growth, because it has already been determined that hair grows faster in the summer than in winter. This increased blood supply to the skin may be responsible. Since endocrine glands are necessary to effect this temperature control, the amount of blood flow and perspiration varies in each individual, therefore hair growth varies in each individual.

Cell Reproduction
The vascular system is a critical mechanism in the production of new cells in the integumentary system.
Electrologists are familiar with the process of mitosis that causes skin cells to move upward, flatten, become dry and finally slough off while new skin cells are being produced underneath. This same process applies to development of hair and nails, with one big difference: nails are only going to grow on the ends of fingers and toes.
   Hair is a major product of cell reproduction in the integumentary system and can be classified into three major types:

1. Asexual or non sexual hair is the fine unpigmented hair by a newborn; the fine hair of the trunk, forearms, and lower legs and the pigmented of hair the eyebrows, lashes, and lower scalp. Its differentiation and growth is controlled by growth hormones.
2. Ambisexual hair is the coarse, pigmented hair that appears in both sexes at puberty. It grows in the axiallae and lower pubic triangle. Some scalp and limb hair is also ambisexual. Low levels of circulating androgens are responsible for its growth.
3. Male sexual hair is the coarse pigmented hair that develops on the face, upper pubic triangle, limbs, trunk, earlobes and nasal tip of males at puberty. In females, these growth patterns are called hirsutism. Male sexual hair pattern growth in both males and females is determined by the androgen sensitive skin cells that become the hair follicle.
   Electrologists understand the hair in the axialle and pubic area are more challenging because of hormonal influence; however, electrologists must also consider the plentiful blood supply in these areas that supports the growth of large terminal hairs found there. There may even be more evidence that hair growth is relevant to blood supply by studying the consistency of hair patterns in their patients.
One example may be that individuals may exhibit more hair growth on the left side of the upper body and more hair growth on the right side of the lower body, because of blood flow. Hair grows heavier and is more difficult to eliminate on the peripherals of the upper lip where the blood supply is plentiful to support muscles that are used to speak, chew and smile.
   Germ cells are triggered to create the growth of the hair and as the hair grows upward, it also extends downward into the skin. The larger the hair, the deeper it goes, seeking a better blood supply.
There is also confirmed evidence that receptor cells are responsible for male pattern baldness. The steroid hormones cannot enter receptors in the cells in the scalp, therefore the hairs being produced are weaker and less plentiful than previous hairs, eventually resulting in little or no hair growth at all.

Immune Response
Another vital role of the skin's blood supply is in providing immune responses. Most of the flora and fauna or plant and animal life that lives on the skin surface is harmless unless the skin is somehow unable to guard against invasion or if allergens or toxins invade the body. This invasion usually occurs through the respiratory system, resulting in a skin reaction. It is believed that the acidity of the skin determines the balance, therefore the vulnerability of the skin to certain unpleasant conditions.

Harmless Residents
Harmless or helpful skin residents include:
Follicle mites that live in the hair follicles of the eyelashes, nose and chin. They consume dead skin and secretions.
Lipophlic yeasts also live in the hair follicle. These are fat based and feed off sebum and skin debris.
Gram positive cocci and aerobic diptheroids live on the skin surface or, in the case of gram positive cocci, in the eccrine sweat glands.
Acne bacillus, which is usually harmless unless other conditions arise.

The Bad Guys
Potential pathogens that reside on the skin include:
Staphylococcus Aureus. Resides in and near the nostrils on the face and in the groin areas of humans. If this bacteria invades the hair follicle it causes boils and pimples. In an eccrine sweat gland, its invasion causes a large lump filled with pus. These are common in the groin or underarm a of young women. This inflammation of the apocrine gland is called hydradenitis suppurativa and should be treated by a physician. Staphylococcus aureus is the pathogen responsible for toxic shock syndrome.
Viruses. Human lice, itch mite, ringworm fungi, pathogenic yeasts (that cause athlete's foot). Only the ringworm fungi lives in the hair follicle.

Invasion Defense
The skin is the first line of defense against invasion of harmful bacteria into the body. If our skin is invaded by a harmful pathogen, the small sentry cells, called Langerhans, signal the lymphatic system, which is a natural filter system to create white blood cells to fight the infection.
   The red blood contains a clotting substance that immediately covers the injury with a scab and prevents any other harmful bacteria from entering. The blood supply is the increased to the injury, bringing in more white cells to digest the pathogens, the end result being pus, and red blood for cell rejuvenation to support healing.

Tweezers And Hair Growth
By understanding this action, electrologists can explain how tweezing or waxing the hairs can increase the blood supply in some individuals to supply the new heavy hairs the integumentary system is producing. The skin may try to grow a hair that is too long to be torn out of the follicle by tweezers.
   Electrologists often see female patients who have tweezed from neither chins for many years and the skin has become very red or even purple in Caucasian or darker African and mediterrian types. This happens because each time the hair is torn from the follicle, the skin brings more blood to replace the tissue with stronger tissue. The hairs grow stronger by utilizing.

Invasion Defense
The skin is the first line of defense against invasion of harmful bacteria into the body. If our skin is invaded by a harmful pathogen, the small sentry cells, called Langerhans, signal the lymphatic system, which is a natural filter system to create white blood cells to fight the infection.
   The red blood contains a clotting substance that immediately covers the injury with a scab and prevents any other harmful bacteria from entering. The blood supply is then increased to the injury, bringing in more white cells to digest the pathogens, the end result being pus, and red blood for cell rejuvination to support healing.

Tweezers And Hair Growth
By understanding this action, electrologists can explain how tweezing or waxing the hairs can increase blood supply in some individuals to supply the new heavier hairs the integumentary system is producing. The skin may try to grow a hair that is too strong to be torn out of the follicle by tweezers.
   Electrologists often see female patients who have tweezed hairs from their chins for many years and the skin has become very red or even purple in Caucasian or darker African and mediterrian types. This happens because each time the hair is torn from the follicle, the skin brings in more blood to replace the tissue with stronger tissue. The hair grows stronger by utilizing the better blood supply, skin becomes endemic with blood vessels, which may activate malpighian cells along with hair production, until the area becomes noticeably different from the surrounding skin.
   The electrologist, whose task is to destroy the vascular tissue that supports hair, may have to spend many years reversing the effects of such tweezing without doing irreparable skin damage to the effected area.

Electrology And Healing
Electrologists can understand what happens when a hair is treated by studying the skin healing process. As soon as the tissue is irradiated in the lower follicle, the blood and lymph rush in to close the follicle injury. This primary lesion prevents any invasion by airborne bacteria or bacteria transmitted by touch. As soon as this material in the follicle dries into a scab, the redness and swelling disappear and healing begins in the area of the injury. This tiny subcutaneous scab is usually shed at the rate of shedding of the epidermis, since they are attached to the epithelial cells in the hair follicle.
   It is important that electrologists use only enough energy to affect the vascular cells within the hair follicle. Invasion of the dermal cells may cause bundling and coiling of the collagen and elastin fibers. This atrophy is no different than that caused from over exposure to the sun. Over treatment can also result in overproduction of fibrous tissue in the follicle that extends into the ground tissue of the dermis, resulting in scars or even keloids.
   Electrologists encounter many patients who have received injuries to the face. These injuries almost always produce scar tissue. This scar tissue is much stronger than normal tissue and demands a larger blood supply to support the growth of mutant (scar) tissue. This extra blood supply enhances production of hair.

References:
Greenblatt, Robert B., MD. The Hirsute Female, Sudonna, Inc. Publishers, 5 Park Avenue, Westwood, New Jersey 07675.
The Incredible Machine, National Geographic Society, Washington, D.C. 1986.

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