A Comprehensive Guide to Avoiding Weight Loss Misconceptions and Caring for Beautiful Hands

Avoiding the Misconceptions of Pyrophoric Acid

Delicate hands need constant care.

Transform rough fingers into soft, jade-like fingers.

What are the structure and function of skin? How to beautify skin most effectively?

How to achieve your ideal figure

Dietary weight loss methods

Methods to lose weight by supplementing vitamins and methods to eliminate lower abdominal fat

A Complete Guide to Beautiful Makeup

Slimming and Beauty All-in-One Guide

A Guide to Self-Diagnosis and Self-Treatment

A guide to natural beauty

Skincare and Maintenance Guide

Home Cooking Guide

A Complete Guide to Family Diet Therapy

A comprehensive guide to scientific prenatal education

Pregnancy and Childbirth Guide

Baby Care Guide

ISBN 7-80607-874-6

Slimming and Beauty All-in-One Guide

Editor-in-Chief: Li Jianhua

Zhuhai Publishing House

Cataloging-in-Publication (CIP) data

A Comprehensive Guide to Life and Interpersonal Skills / Edited by Li Jianhua. --- Zhuhai: Zhuhai Publishing House, 2002.1

ISBN 7-80607-874-6

I. Life... II. Li... III. Life-Knowledge-Popular Reading Material IV. TS976.3-49

China National Library of China CIP Data Verification Number (2001) No. 087522

A Guide to Life and Interpersonal Skills

Slimming and Beauty All-in-One Guide

◎Author: Li Jianhua

Planning: Luo Liqun

Shuaiyun

Editor in charge: Luo Liqun

Book design: Chen Junmin

Published and distributed by: Zhuhai Publishing House

Address: 2nd Floor, Block A, Building 47, Yinhua New Village, Xiangzhou District

Contact number: 0756-2515348

Postal code: 519001

Printing: Guangzhou Panyu Xinhua Printing Co., Ltd.

Size: 850×1168 1/32

Number of printed sheets: 85; Number of characters: 1700,000

Edition: First edition, February 2002

First printing in February 2002: 1-5000 copies

ISBN 7-80607-874-6/TS·7 Price: 150.00 yuan (10 volumes)

Copyright reserved. Reproduction prohibited.

If there are any printing quality issues, please contact the printing plant.

Foreword

The love of beauty is human nature, especially among women.

A woman's most beautiful curves are embodied in her legs. Slender, shapely legs radiate a captivating glow and are a mark of pride and confidence for modern women. A slender waist is also a key indicator of a woman's figure. A slim waist is a woman's pursuit and desire, an indispensable condition for creating a graceful figure, and women with slender waists are often perceived as the most feminine.

Slimming and beauty have become a modern trend. In today's society, slimming and beauty methods are emerging in endless streams, and concepts about slimming and beauty are changing rapidly. With social progress and scientific development, people have new understandings, new standards, and new pursuits regarding slimming and beauty.

We have dedicated ourselves to compiling "The Complete Guide to Slimming and Beauty," which closely follows the latest developments in slimming and beauty, focusing on and collecting the newest and most scientific methods to share with people who "all have a love for beauty." We believe it can bring surprise and hope to those who love beauty... fulfilling their persistent pursuit and desire for beauty.

This book is characterized by its emphasis on practicality, comprehensiveness, and scientific methodology. It is divided into four chapters: skin moisturizing, body shaping and weight loss, avoiding common weight loss misconceptions, and targeted skincare. It is your best friend on the path to scientific weight loss and beauty.

editor

December 2001

Chapter 1 Moisturizing Skin

What are the structure and function of the skin?

I. Structure of the Skin

Even though many women apply face cream to their skin every day, their understanding of skin is often very superficial, or even completely lacking.

Some women are completely unaware of their skin type. They leave all skincare and makeup products to their makeup artists, often only to find afterward that they are completely unsuitable, wasting a lot of money and damaging their skin. Therefore, to properly protect our skin, we must begin by understanding our skin.

The skin is the largest organ in the human body, covering the entire body. Because the skin comes into direct contact with a wide variety of substances in the outside world, it is affected by sunlight, temperature changes, dust, and other commonly encountered substances.

The average thickness of skin is 1.4 millimeters, but the thickness varies in different areas. The skin around the eyes and lips is the thinnest, while the palms and soles are the thickest.

The skin accounts for a significant portion of body weight, approximately 16%. It possesses elasticity and resilience, playing a vital role in protecting the body. Under normal circumstances, metabolism drives continuous skin regeneration.

The skin is basically divided into three different layers, from the outside in: the epidermis, the dermis, and the subcutaneous tissue.

1. Epidermis

The epidermis is the outermost layer of the skin and the thinnest protective layer of the human body.

This layer of skin lacks blood vessels but contains numerous nerve endings, with an average thickness of 0.07 to 2 millimeters. It withstands continuous pressure in different parts of the body, which contributes to the increased thickness of the skin.

The epidermis is composed of five layers of cells, arranged from the outside in: stratum corneum, stratum lucidum, stratum granulosum, stratum spinosum, and stratum basale.

The stratum corneum is the thinnest layer of the skin, composed of lifeless, dead cells, commonly known as dead skin. It serves to waterproof the skin, prevent skin breakage, and prevent bacteria from penetrating.

The function of the stratum lucidum is to control the entry of moisture into the skin.

The granular layer consists of one or two layers of cells containing hyaluronic acid granules from the stratum corneum, which reflect light and give the skin a fair appearance.

The spinous layer and basal layer are called the seed layer. Cells divide here and continuously move towards the outer layer of the skin; finally, they shed from the surface of the stratum corneum, a phenomenon known as keratinization or desquamation.

The stratum spinosum is the thickest layer of the epidermis. The intercellular spaces in this layer are distinct, and lymphatic fluid flows through them to supply the skin with nutrients.

The basal layer is composed of cylindrical cells. Some of these cells contain melanin, which not only determines skin color but also protects the skin from UV damage.

In general, each layer of the epidermis has a specific function: cells proliferate in the basal layer, grow in the spinous layer, begin to degenerate in the granular layer, are absorbed in the stratum lucidum, form a protective film in the stratum corneum, and then shed. The entire epidermal cell turnover process takes 21 to 28 days.

2. Genuine leather

This dermis contains countless capillaries, sweat glands, sebaceous glands, nerve endings, hair follicles, elastic fibers, and contains 60% water, which is part of the skin tissue.

Since the dermis has almost no regenerative capacity, if it is damaged, it will leave scars.

The dermis gives the skin its elasticity and elasticity. It consists of the papillary layer, the subpapillary layer, and the reticular layer.

The papillary layer connects to the epidermis and is the part with the highest water content. It also has a well-developed capillary network, which transports nutrients and oxygen to the epidermis.

The subpapillary layer primarily serves to connect the capillaries of the papillary layer with the arteries and veins of the reticular layer.

The reticular layer, mainly composed of collagen fibers, elastic fibers, and lattice fibers, is the central location of these fibers. It soothes external stimuli and also determines the skin's elasticity.

As we age, the nipple layer flattens due to atrophy, and the nipple layer and sub-nipple layer lose moisture and the connective tissue loses elasticity, thus forming wrinkles.

3. Subcutaneous tissue

This layer of skin lies beneath the dermis, between the muscles and bones. It is composed of loose connective tissue and a large amount of fat, hence it is also called subcutaneous adipose tissue. Its thickness varies depending on age, health, sex, and body position. Women generally have more subcutaneous fat than men.

Subcutaneous fat acts as a buffer, protecting bones and muscles from injury, while also preventing heat loss and maintaining body temperature.

II. Functions of the Skin

1. Protect your body

Skin can defend against various external damages, such as bacterial invasion, and can also protect internal organs, blood vessels, nerves and muscles.

2. Regulating body temperature

In different climates, the skin plays a role in regulating body temperature.

3. Respiration

The skin's respiratory function is equivalent to 1% of the lung's respiratory capacity. It can absorb oxygen and expel carbon dioxide.

4. Purification effect

The skin can excrete sweat, uric acid, sebum, etc., and can eliminate toxins from the body.

5. Absorption

Although the skin has limited absorption capacity, it absorbs ultraviolet rays and then produces vitamin D in the body, which, along with calcium and phosphorus, forms the main elements of bones.

In addition, vitamin D has the function of inhibiting the development of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

III. Skin varies from person to person.

Although all skins have the same structure, their properties vary to some extent.

Our skin is given to us by our parents, and genetics plays a significant role in its development. Therefore, there are some things we can't control.

However, skin is constantly changing, especially with age. People who struggle with oily skin in their youth often find their condition improving in middle age, becoming drier than before. What will my skin look like in ten years?

Anticipating these changes and taking appropriate care will greatly benefit you. If you want to avoid worrying about your skin for the rest of your life, you should make predictions in advance.

IV. Skin varies from place to place

In cold regions, the skin is always tightly closed to prevent heat loss, so most people have delicate skin.

In hot climates, people's skin is generally rougher to facilitate the excretion of sweat and lower skin temperature.

So, does that mean people from cold regions have beautiful skin? Not necessarily. When skin is affected by cold, blood circulation is poor, and many people have rosy cheeks; the invasion of cold can also make the skin rough and cause fine wrinkles.

In hot regions, prolonged sun exposure can cause the skin to darken and harden, which is a drawback.

People living in areas with strong sea breezes or low humidity will have their skin change to adapt to the local natural conditions.

V. Skin changes with the seasons

Skin changes significantly between summer and winter due to different climates.

One sweats, the other doesn't; one sunbathes, the other rarely; one has good blood circulation, the other poor. Even their daily routines and diets are very different, and all these changes alter their skin's properties.

In summer, skin tends to become oily, and even the driest skin will become moisturized.

In winter, skin tends to become drier, and all types of oily skin will feel dry.

Many skin problems arise in spring, partly because the skin cannot adapt to the changed environment all at once.

Autumn skin, having spent the summer in sweat and sun, is quite different from spring skin. It is most tired at this time, and the temperature difference between day and night is also increasing, which it still can't keep up with.

Pay close attention to changes in your skin caused by the seasons. You must cultivate your skin's ability to gradually adapt to climate changes in advance, avoiding any sudden shocks.

VI. Skin changes with age

As we age, the amount of sebum secreted by the skin decreases, and the amount of moisture it retains also decreases, gradually leading to dryness.

People who were once proud of their beautiful skin may find their skin becoming rough.

Acne-prone skin, due to its rich "underground resources," may actually improve sebum secretion and might even become more beautiful as one ages.

All skin types will eventually decline; this is a law of nature.

However, some people decline very slowly, while others change very suddenly.

Cosmetics were developed to slow down skin aging. Knowing how to use cosmetics is crucial for your entire life.

7. Oily skin

People with oily skin typically have very noticeable pores, rough skin, and excessive sebum production. Especially around the nose, philtrum, and lower lip, a light wiping with a tissue always removes a layer of secretions, as if this oiliness is never truly washed away. People with this skin type often have a darker complexion. Because of the oiliness, their skin is particularly prone to contamination. Therefore, a large amount of sebum and dirt easily clogs hair follicles, causing small blackheads and making them prone to acne.

8. Dry skin

People with dry skin generally have less noticeable pores and very little sebum secretion, resulting in a fair and delicate complexion. Because of the insufficient sebum production, the skin is constantly in a dry environment, making it more prone to fine wrinkles and often producing small, bran-like scales. This type of skin is more prone to aging. After middle age, as endocrine function declines, sebum production also decreases. Therefore, without proper skincare, excessive wrinkles can develop, giving the appearance of premature aging.

9. Neutral skin

According to a survey by beauty experts, there are now very few people with neutral skin.

This may be due to excessive environmental pollution caused by industrial development, making it increasingly difficult for people's skin to breathe fresh air. Of course, infants are an exception; most infants have unpolluted skin, thus possessing this healthy and standard skin type. Neutral skin is often delicate, smooth, and has a natural, healthy glow. However, it also changes slightly with the seasons, generally feeling slightly dry and hard in winter and slightly oily in summer; it tends to be dry in winter and oily in summer.

10. Combination skin

This is the worst type of skin. People with this skin type would normally have oily skin, but external stimuli, such as long-term use of unsuitable skin creams, can completely disrupt the normal secretion of sebaceous glands. While it may appear similar to oily skin, it often produces flaking, similar to dry skin. Therefore, it is called combination skin.