Skin microbia: What is it, what are its functions? Microbia and microbiota: What is the difference?

Skin microbia is a complex ecosystem that is populated by different fungi, bacteria and other microorganisms.

Content

The microbia of the skin consists of bacteria, viruses, fungi and ticks that live on its surface. If they are in quantitative and species balance, they protect the skin, so, for example, atopic dermatitis, allergies, dandruff and other skin diseases do not appear.

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The skin is the largest human organ that protects the body from harmful pathogens. Microorganisms that live in equilibrium also help this protection, protect it from the appearance of symptoms that cause discomfort and, as a result, skin diseases. Correct skin microbia guarantees its health and beautiful appearance, so you should not get rid of microorganisms on its surface. Among other things, frequent resorting to cosmetic procedures or the use of aggressive care products can only harm the skin. From this article you will learn how the skin microbia functions, what affects it and how to care for it. Read further.

What is a microbia of the face of the face, human head: what is the difference from microbiota?

Microbia of the skin of the face, human head

Skin microbia is a complex ecosystem consisting of microorganisms that inhabit its surface. Term "Microbia" became popular when an American scientist Joshua Lederberg, received the Nobel Prize in 2001. In his studies, he was determined by the totality of the genomes of all microbes inhabiting the human body: bacteria, fungi, viruses and ticks.

In turn, the so -called microbiotic skin is a set of microorganisms, which mean ordinary cells. Thus, the difference between one term and another is that microbias are microbes, both good and bad, and microbiota is the simplest cells.

It is worth understanding:

In the environment, many different microorganisms live, which easily pass from there to the skin.
Thus, the skin is populated not only with useful and neutral microorganisms living in symbiosis with skin cells, but also by bad pathogens.

According to experts, the skin microbia consists mainly of four types of bacteria:

Actinobacteria
Firmicutes
Bacteroidetes and Proteobacterai
Mushrooms mallassezia
Demodex ticks

Sometimes it is also inhabited by pathogens, including golden staphylococcus and streptococci, which, in turn, can cause infections and thereby lead to the development of various skin diseases. However, it is worth emphasizing that the skin microbia is individual for each person.

The study of many scientists has proved that only 13% microorganisms, Considered from the surface of the hand, will be identical in two people. This proves that the skin is very diverse from the point of view of microorganisms inhabiting it. In addition, it is worth knowing that both quantitative and composition by type of inhabiting bacteria depend on the condition of individual areas of the skin, its thickness, as well as humidity and temperature.

How much does a human skin microbia weigh?

It seems to us that the bacteria invisible to our eye have a meager mass. However, it is not. How much does a human skin microbia weigh?

Scientists calculated that each of us wears 1.5 kilograms of microorganisms in ourselves.
Of these, half (750 g) is on the skin - the largest organ of the person.
The remaining half inhabit the intestines and other organs.

It is impossible to believe it, but this is true. Below even more interesting information. Read further.

What are the functions of a natural microbioma of the skin: why should it support it?

The skin is the largest organ of the human body, the task of which is to integrate with the external environment, as well as protect against pathogens that want to penetrate the body. What are the functions of the natural microbioma of the skin and why it needs to be supported:

It is in constant contact with microorganisms in the environment.
The skin, thanks to its structure, can be unfavorable for the growth of pathogens. For example, on a dry, rough and often flaky surface, poor bacteria multiply less.
The skin does not allow any microorganisms that it contacts from outside.
Thus, it protects the body from the formation of abnormal microflora inside.

The epidermis also includes substances that protect it from pathogens (for example, fat containing triglycerides), and which not only prevent the penetration of harmful microorganisms, but also activate the mechanisms of the immune system that effectively fight the threat.

Unfortunately, the poor condition of the skin can adversely affect the body and affect the growth of pathogenic bacteria. Infections occur mainly due to low immunity, when a person receives therapy with antibiotics, or when there are wounds or foreign bodies on the skin (for example, splinter, etc.).

What depends on the microbia of the skin: what bacteria inhabit it?

As mentioned above, the microbia of the skin depends on many factors, including: in the thickness of the skin - some microorganisms populate flat surfaces of the cover and others - skin folds and cavities. In addition to different buildings, these places also differ in temperature and humidity, which also affects the composition of the microbioma. What bacteria inhabit it? Here's the answer:

On the neck, face and head rich in skin fat, there is mushrooms of the genus Mallassezia, Actinobacteria and Firmicutes.
Wet places - feet, armpits and around the genitals, populate only Actinobacteria and Firmicutes.
In areas with dry skin appear Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria.

The composition of the microbioma also depends on:

pH of the skin (usually it is moderately acidic with indicators of 4-4.5)
Exposure to UV radiation
Lifestyle

Thus, the composition of the microbioma is affected not only by what we eat every day, but also to daily skin care, regular physical activity and the use of methods of exposure, for example, massage. The quantity and variety of microorganisms colonizing the skin also depends on the drugs used, stress, as well as on age - for example, in older people with dry skin, microbias are less diverse.

Moreover, women microbiomes differs from the microbioma of the skin of men - it largely depends on hormones and specific periods of life, for example, pregnancy or menopause in women or puberty in both sexes. It also applies to the differences within ethnic groups, life on different continents, in another climate, as well as in industrialized or non -industrial regions.

It is worth knowing: At the time of birth, the skin microbia is inhabited by microorganisms. In women who have given birth to a natural way, the child receives the microflora of the birth canal, and in women giving birth to cesarean section, the mother’s microflora.

In babies, the skin is inhabited by bacteria and fungi. In children, for example, three years, most of all microbes on the skin, which, in particular, is associated with the development and physiological changes.

The composition of the human microbioma also depends on the genetic predisposition and metabolic diseases. This is because proceeding pathologies change the properties of the epidermis, thereby influencing how the skin microbia in a particular person looks. It also leads to the functioning of the immune system, which cannot protect the body from allergies and autoimmune skin diseases.

The composition of the microbioma is also affected by temporary infections and diseases, such as flu, which cause a change in the quantity and types of microorganisms living on the skin. But after treatment, everything returns to its former composition.

Microbia of the skin and illness: what can disturb the balance?

Normal skin microbia is balanced both from the point of view of the types of bacteria inhabiting it, and in quantity. What can break the balance?

Imbalance, i.e. Dysbiosis means that the skin is no longer such a strong protective barrier, which, in turn, increases the risk of skin diseases.

Pathogens living on the skin can cause symptoms that cause discomfort, as well as serious diseases, including skin pathologies - atopic dermatitis (blood pressure), and even modern diseases, such as various dermatomycosis.

So, if the skin is dry, it will be colonized, for example, staphylococci, which infect people suffering from atopic dermatitis (blood pressure). The study of scientists has proved that the microbia of patients with blood pressure and healthy people differs. In the first group, the presence of pathogenic staphylococcus spp bacteria., as well as they have a less diverse microbia. It is also interesting that the most common fungi found on the skin from the group Malassezia, stimulate the production of pro -inflammatory cytokines.

They aggravate the symptoms in patients suffering from atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis and other types of dermatitis, inflammatory diseases. Mushrooms are also responsible for education, for example, dandruff. Demodex, belonging to a group of ticks, can cause erythema on the skin and rosacea.

Microbia of the skin of the face, head: how to care, restore what cosmetics to use?

Cosmetics to restore the microbioma of the skin

As dermatologists and cosmetologists emphasize, you should carefully select cosmetics and skin care products, since many of them can disrupt the balance of microbioma. The fact is that the substances contained in them (mainly alcohol and antibacterial substances) remove the necessary bacteria and other microorganisms from the surface of the skin, which in turn leads to dysbiosis.

Although initially, when using such products, the skin becomes elastic and less dry, serious skin diseases may appear over time. It is worth emphasizing that even water can be harmful to the skin, so you should not wash your face, for example, several times a day, because its alkaline reaction causes excessive growth of pathogens. How to care, restore the face and head with a microbia? Tips:

To properly care for the microbioma of the skin, you should use cosmetics without preservatives, dyes and fragrances, mainly with simple ingredients.
Try not to use antibiotics, even in the treatment of states such as acne. It will be useful for the skin. With proper care, it will gradually recover.
The use of various means is changed by the composition of the microbioma, which can later be difficult to restore. Therefore, it is worth considering all options, before making a decision on a specific type of treatment and specific measures.

Try it skin care productsthat offers site iherb. The fact is that it represents manufacturers who make cosmetics without preservatives using only the natural composition.

To make the skin microbias varied, it is worth using probiotics. Most often they are used to maintain the balance of intestinal microbioma. However, it should be remembered that some cosmetics are enriched with prebiotics, which are an excellent environment for the propagation of bacteria.