Layers Of Skin

Although skin is usually regarded as just an outer covering, it actually lives and breathes and is largest organ of the body. It weighs in around three kilograms and covers an area of about five square metres. How it looks depends very much on everyday care. Expensive treatments are wasted on it if day to day care is neglected.

Your skin is made up of three main layers. The top one is the epidermis and this is the part of the skin you can see. Under this layer is the dermis, which is also known as the "true skin" because it is the only layer that consists of living tissue. The bottom layer of the skin is the subdermis, which consists largely of fatty tissue.

The epidermis
This layer, itself, is made up of five quite distinct layers. New cells are produced continually in its lowest layers and they push their way to the top. Once there they die and shrivel up into flat shells which serve to protect the layers of skin underneath. They , in turn, continue to be replaced by new cells coming up.

Skin has a smooth, silky look when the dead cells at top lie flat. If they curl at the edges the skin takes on a dry, scaly llok. The skin care products we use tend to be aimed at treating the epidermis only. Moisturizers help to keep this top layer from drying out. Exfoliators are used to clear away dead cells and to encourage fresh cells to the top. Sunscreens are applied to protect all layers of the skin from damage that ultra-violet rays can cause.

The dermis
Nerves, blood vessels and the roots of sweat and sebaceous glands run through the dermis. Also present is the network of connective tissues which consist of protein known as collagen and little elastin. It is this connective tissue that provides firmness in the skin. When its fibres starts to break down in some way, wrinkles and general sagging of the skin begin.

Although the most attention is given to the epidermis, with all manner of treatments applied to the outside skin, it is actually in the dermis that the beauty and health of your skin is determined. Good nutrition and exercise are more important than outside applications.

The subdermis
What we find here is fatty tissue which insulates the body and provides padding. This layer also serves to anchor the skin to the underlying muscles.