Microbes, crusts, snails ... All these substances found on our skin tend to repel us and sometimes to start a hunt for "dirt" with Marseille soap and other abrasive scrubs.

However, we must live with and above all, understand why they too have their importance in the proper functioning of our organization . A mission given by Dr. Yael Adler, dermatologist, phlebologist and nutritionist, who has just published "In my skin", a kind of encyclopedia of this giant organ.

"I think people want to know everything about the little worries of everyday life, because we all have to face them more than once in our lives, but people are reluctant to talk about it because it embarrasses them", confirms the author .

The folds of the skin: a nest with bacteria

"The folds are very particular areas of the epidermis, because these small dark and poorly ventilated niches harbor many skin germs . The armpits, the underside of the breasts, the gluteal fold, the folds of the groin and sometimes even, if one has generous handles of love, the folds of the belly, or even the back, present ideal conditions for the agents pathogens: humidity, heat and little light. In this cozy atmosphere of the kind compost heap, we live without embarrassment and we reproduce without way (...)

Yeasts like Candida albicans , responsible for candidiasis, and all the friends of the body folds that count the bacterial gent find there a broth of ideal culture. "

Crusts: a health indicator that should not be overlooked

"The crusts come from the drying out of secretions that sometimes ooze wounds. "

The color of the crust betrays the nature of the problem that could be hidden below

"A red-black crust is composed of coagulated blood, it results from a wound with blood effusion. A light yellow crust is the sign of the drying of an interstitial fluid (serum, lymph) that has leaked small skin vesicles or blisters. This type of crust also appears in cases of oozing eczema, that is to say, inflammation of the dermis.

A crust that turns orange or yellow honey is a sign of a bacterial infection. It is then formed of dried pus produced by extremely contagious bacteria (streptococci or staphylococci), and is also called crustal impetigo.

In front of a gray-black crust, we are in the presence of tissue necrosis. These scabs sometimes emit the smell of putrefaction and are a sign of serious illness . They can appear in case of inflammation or vascular obstruction, or even deep shingles.

On the other hand, if the crust is friable and yellowish-white, this indicates that a few horny cells have mingled with the fluid secreted by the wound. Dermatologists then call it simply a squama. "

Morves, crot of nose: traps with germs

Do not tell me that you do not take a look in your handkerchief to see what you have just produced!

"What a relief when you get rid of a dried-up dung! (...)

The favorite place to clean your nose seems to be the car. As if they were invisible behind their windows, drivers behind the wheel gently put their fingers in the nose (...)

Snot and nose droppings contain several components: the aqueous-viscous secretions of the nasal glands and the mucus of goblet cells, so called because their profile is reminiscent of a calyx. These cells implanted in the nasal mucosa pour their contents into it to moisten it. Addition of aqueous components from the glands, the mucus then takes a consistency that goes from rubbery to dry, which explains the various states of boogers nose. These are nasal secretions more or less dried, mixed with dust, blood, pus or infectious agents. "

"The germs, dirt and dust we breathe through the nose are intercepted by our viscous nasal mucus . Large dust particles and insects are held by the hairs of the nose, true porters at the entrance of our airways. Unfortunately, the filtration system of our nose does not protect us enough from fine dust, which penetrates into the smallest pulmonary vesicles. "

Cerumen or "honey of the ears": a natural protection

"In the ears, we have two kinds of glands: glands that are a variant of the apocrine glands and large sebaceous glands. Together, they produce cerumen, bitter and sticky, which contains over a thousand components. ENTs rightly advise against removing this yellow matter. If you push a cotton swab too deeply, you may push the wax back in instead of removing it. It can then settle on the eardrum, harden and suddenly deaf. The ENT must then, using an instrument, extract the wax plug with great care. Sometimes there are real small hard blocks of amber color. Bitter substances and cerumen do not only protect the ear against insects , but also infections, dust and water. They also act as cleaners of the ear .

For healthy ears, washing with hot water is enough.

Many people find it difficult to give up cotton swabs, unfortunately, and cleaning their ears becomes for some a gesture almost erotic. Rummaging in the ear provides pleasant sensations, but can make you want to cough because you then excite passing the nerve that triggers the reflex cough. "

"In my skin, a less superficial envelope than it looks," by Dr. Yael Adler, Solar Editions, 320 pages.