Aliyense atha kukhudzidwa ndi khungu louma nthawi ina. Anthu ena amakhala ndi khungu louma chifukwa cha chibadwa chawo, ena amatha kudwala nthawi zina m'moyo wawo chifukwa chakunja. Kusamalira khungu louma, ndikofunika kudziwa makhalidwe ake ndi kuzindikira zomwe zimagwira ntchito zomwe zimafunikira kuti zikhale zokongola.

Khungu ndiye chiwalo chachikulu kwambiri mthupi la munthu popeza chimayimira 16% ya kulemera kwake konse. Imagwira mbali zingapo zofunika kwambiri mthupi: khungu limatiteteza ku zipsinjo zakunja (zoopsa, kuipitsa madzi), kumathandiza thupi kuwongolera kutentha kwake, kutenga nawo gawo pakupanga vitamini D ndi mahomoni ndikutiteteza. matenda kudzera mu chitetezo chake (motsogoleredwa ndi keratinocytes). Khungu lathu limapangidwa m'magulu angapo.

Khungu ndi chiwalo chovuta kupangika chomwe chimapangidwa m'magulu angapo omwe amaphatikizana:

• The khungu: ndi za pamwamba khungu wopangidwa ndi mitundu itatu ya maselo: keratinocytes (osakaniza keratin ndi lipids), melanocytes (maselo amene amapaka utoto pakhungu) ndi maselo a langherans (chitetezo cha pakhungu). Epidermis imagwira ntchito yoteteza chifukwa ndiyotheka kulowa mkati. 
• Mzere, wosanjikiza wapakati : Ili pansi pa khungu ndipo imachirikiza. Imagawidwa mu zigawo ziwiri, papillary dermis ndi reticular dermis wolemera mu minyewa malekezero ndi zotanuka ulusi. Magawo awiriwa ali ndi ma fibroblast (omwe amapanga collagen) ndi ma cell a chitetezo (histiocytes ndi mast cell). 
• L'hypoderme, khungu lakuya kwambiri : yomangidwa pansi pa dermis, hypodermis ndi minofu ya adipose, ndiko kuti yopangidwa ndi mafuta. Mitsempha ndi mitsempha imadutsa mu hypodermis kupita ku dermis. Hypodermis ndi malo osungira mafuta, amateteza mafupa pochita ngati chowopsa, amasunga kutentha ndikupanga mawonekedwe ake.

Zigawo zosiyanasiyanazi zili ndi madzi 70%, mapuloteni 27,5%, 2% mafuta ndi 0,5% mchere wamchere ndi kufufuza zinthu.

Khungu louma ndi mtundu wa khungu, ngati khungu lamafuta kapena losakanikirana. Amadziwika ndi kulimba, kumva kulasalaza komanso kuwonekera pakhungu monga kulimba, khungu komanso khungu losalala. Anthu omwe ali ndi khungu louma amathanso kukhala nawo zambiri kutchulidwa khungu kukalamba kuposa ena (makwinya akuya). Chifukwa chachikulu cha khungu louma ndi kusowa kwa lipids: zotupa za sebaceous zimalephera kupanga sebum yokwanira kupanga filimu yoteteza pakhungu. Kulimba ndi kumva kulasalasa kwa khungu kumachitikanso pakakhala kuti madzi atayika m'thupi, izi zimatchedwa kuti kuuma kwa nthawi pakhungu. Funso lake, zovuta zakunja monga kuzizira, mphepo youma, kuipitsa, dzuwa, komanso kusowa kwamadzi amkati ndi akunja. Ukalamba umakhalanso pachiwopsezo chouma chifukwa pakapita nthawi khungu limayamba kuchepa.

Chifukwa chake khungu louma liyenera kudyetsedwa ndi kuthiridwa madzi mozama. The hydration pakhungu amayamba ndi madzi abwino. Ichi ndichifukwa chake tikulimbikitsidwa kumwa 1,5 mpaka 2 malita amadzi patsiku. Kuphatikiza apo, anthu omwe ali ndi khungu louma ayenera kugwiritsa ntchito mankhwala osamalira tsiku ndi tsiku omwe ali ndi zinthu zochokera m'madzi, zinthu zachilengedwe zonyowa (zomwe zimatchedwanso Natural Moisturizing Factors kapena NMF) ndi lipids kuti azidyetsa mozama. 

Molekyu ya nyenyezi yosamalira khungu kwa zaka zingapo, urea ndi imodzi mwazinthu zachilengedwe zopatsa mphamvu, zomwe zimatchedwa "hygroscopic". Ma NMF amapezeka mwachilengedwe mkati mwa corneocytes (maselo a epidermis) ndipo ali ndi udindo wokopa ndi kusunga madzi. Kuphatikiza pa urea, pali lactic acid, amino acid, chakudya ndi mchere ayoni (kloride, sodium ndi potaziyamu) pakati pa ma NMF. 

Urea m'thupi amabwera chifukwa cha kuwonongeka kwa mapuloteni ndi thupi. Molekyuyi imapangidwa ndi chiwindi ndipo imachotsedwa mumkodzo. Urea yomwe imapezeka posamalira khungu ikumakonzedwa mu labotore kuchokera ku ammonia ndi carbon dioxide. Imalekerera bwino ndi mitundu yonse ya khungu, urea imadziwika chifukwa cha keratolytic (imatulutsa khungu pang'onopang'ono), antibacterial ndi moisturizing (imatenga ndikusunga madzi). Mwa kumangiriza mamolekyulu amadzi, urea imawasunga kumtunda kwa khungu. Molekyu iyi ndiyofunika makamaka pakhungu lokhala ndi ma callus, khungu lokhala ndi ziphuphu, khungu lofewa komanso khungu louma.