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THE MADAM C. J. WALKER SCHOOLS heating unit which generates steam directly onto the head or face of the patron. Some types have openings in the hood which make it possible for the operator to insert the hands and execute the massage movements while the steam penetrates the parts being treated. ELECTROLYTIC CUP This is an appliance used for cleansing the skin as a preliminary to massage. The Negative Pole of the galvanic current is usually employed for this purpose. The electrolytic cup should not be used on a sensitive skin or on skin that is dry and scaly. In such cased Cream Only should be used to cleanse the skin. Sterilize the cup before it is used on the skin by dipping it in an antiseptic solution such as formalin, and then in alcohol. [[image]] [[caption]] Electrolytic Cup [[/caption]] THE SPECTRUM The spectrum is a beam of white light which, when decomposed, gives off all the colors of the rainbow. Red, orange, and yellow are heat rays; white and green are neutral rays; and blue, indigo, and violet are the chemical or actinic rays. The red ray is the longest and has a slow frequency of vibration. The violet ray is the shortest and has a faster frequency of vibration. 222 CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO THE SKIN The skin is a soft, pliable, strong, elastic covering for the body. In youth it is both extensile and elastic, so that it can be stretched and wrinkled and will return to its normal condition of smoothness. As one grows older the elasticity is lessened and the skin becomes flabby and wrinkles tend to become permanent. THICKNESS AND TEXTURE It is estimated that the skin averages about 1/10 of an inch in thickness and approximates an area of 14 square feet in covering the body of an adult of average size. The skin varies in different parts of the body, being very think and delicate on the lips and eyelids but thick and very tough on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, elbows and knees. The texture of the skin is influenced by the physical condition of the person, by exposure to the weather and by the types of work which may cause friction or irritation. As in the case of persons in good health, the skin receives adequate nourishment, is usually soft, pliable, and is said to "glow with health;" in cases of individuals exposed to heat or cold the skin toughens and becomes immune to the extremes of temperature; in cases of persons doing manual labor, the hands become rough and the skin is not easily injured by hard usage. When the cells of the skin, because of friction or pressure, build up faster than they can be rubbed off, the thickened part is called a CORN or CALLUS. FUNCTIONS OF THE SKIN-The skin has many functions, the chief of which are as follows: PROTECTIVE 1. It covers the body and protects the underlying structures from drying and injury by mechanical means or foreign organisms. HEAT CONTROL 2. It is an important factor in maintaining the internal temperature of the body, which is about 98 degrees Fahrenheit. SENSORY 3. It contains the end-organs of many of the sensory nerves and is therefore, a medium of sensation. The sensitiveness of the skin is not uniform on all parts of the body surface. 223
