The Skinny on Skin

When’s the last time you saw a get-well card for psoriasis or eczema? Skin’s our biggest organ — and does lots of hard work keeping us healthy — but still, it doesn’t get much respect. Skin regulates our temperature, protects us from germs, and generally serves as the final barrier between our bodies and the world. On this episode, we look at what our skin does for us — and what happens when it breaks down.

Also heard on this week’s episode:

• Hong Kong beauty editor Francesca Ng works in an industry that idolizes skin perfection, but she’s spent a lifetime struggling with eczema.
• Inadequate training and implicit bias may be keeping doctors from spotting skin problems in people of color. VisualDx says its tech fix could lead to better diagnosis.
• Dermatologist Anisha Patel explains how skin pigment works.
• Colorado Public Radio spoke with burn center patient Dave Repsher about his near-fatal helicopter crash and long recovery.
• How runners protect their skin from sweat, weather — and their greatest nemesis: chafing.