Skin Grafting
Skin grafting in medical terms is a surgical method, through which a patient’s skin can be covered through a skin graft in case the skin has been lost due to injury, burn or surgery. In other words skin grafting is a procedure where skin or a skin substitute is placed over a burn or non-healing wound A skin graft is skin which is commonly used as a way of covering the area from where the patient’s outer covering of the skin is lost; the best and commonly used method for this is moving the skin of the patient’s body from one portion or area to the other.
Another procedure of skin grafting is using the grafts of the skin right in the middle of the two similar portions, between both the procedures it is always better to use the skin of the patients body itself as the body may not accept another layer of the skin even when there is a possibility that due to the graft the body of the patient might get some time to grow its own fresh layer of skin. The site or the area where the surgery or skin grafting has taken place should be kept protected and should be kept moist. To receive an appropriate type of skin draft you can have a word with your doctor for their advice related to medication procedures etc.
Purpose of skin grafting
Generally the process of skin grafting helps in coving the wound temporarily or replacing the part of the skin which is missing or has been damages due to some reason permanently, the covering of the wounded area is a necessity as incase the wound is open the body tends to be more prone to diseases, skin grafting also helps in providing immunity to the body for fighting against problems like fluid loss and also acts as an aid maintaining the proper regulation of the internal temperature. Skin grafting is an indication towards the growth of science as it helps replace the skin which is burned or injured which can affect the internal health a person.
Demographics (skin grafting among the population)
Skin grafting is a procedure which helps in covering or replacing the burned or injured skin of a patient which might have been affected due to fire accident or skin graft but the most common categories out the whole population who have higher chance of getting a akin graft are:
• Small children who are below or at the age of four years
• People who have crossed the age of 65yrs
• low income groups
• Poor people living unhealthy areas or houses.
What is a skin?
As we all know skin is one organ which is largest in a body of a human. It is the outer most covering of the body which is exposed to the outer environment hiding all the others. It is called as integumentary or integument. There are two layer of the skin. One is the outer most covering known as epidermis. This layer is generally replaced or covered in the process of skin grafting, this layer of skin lies on the dermis which is the lower layer of skin which is thicker and supports the upper layer that is epidermis.
The thickness of both the layer is approximately 0.04-0.08 in (1-2mm). There are cells named as keratinocytes which are present in the outer layer of the skin. These cells provide a protection to the entire body by being coated properly. All the other things or organs line the sweat gland, the blood vessels, hair follicles, nerves and even the glands containing oil are found in the dermis. All the connective tissues which are generated through protein are found in the dermis.
Skin thickness is different in very person and the variation is affected by the different areas of the body as well. The portions like feet and the palms have thick skin whereas it is thin near and around the eyes. On an average man tend to have thicker skin and women in comparison have less thick skin. This variation is similarly in adults and children where adults have thick skin and children have delicate and soft one. Changes start occurring at different ages and it again tends to become less thick and looses its elasticity, fluids, and flexibility around the age of 50 years.
