Skin 101: The Anatomy of Skin

This post is all about the anatomy of skin, or to be more specific the epidermis and dermis ... Insert excited jazz hands here!

I know, I know boring....

There is no hiding the fact that this isn't exactly a sexy subject, and on a normal day is likely to send you into a snooze fest, but if you are serious about sorting out your skin it's fundamental, so listen up

I suggest grabbing some tea and  bickies and then settling down for what is hopefully a helpful skin read

Epidermis

What is it?

Epidermis = Top layer of skin

What does it do?

The outermost layer of your skin, it's your body's first defence against intruders i.e germs, the elements, bacteria etc. providing essential support to your immune system

The bottom layer of your epidermis produces melanin which gives your skin it's colour and also protects you from the harmful rays of the sun. For example when it's sunny, as your skin gets exposed to the UV rays, your melanin gets activated and produces a tan to protect your skin from being damaged by the suns rays

It has 5 layers of cells and millions of cells per square inch. It's also constantly producing new cells on a daily basis. These cells are created and move from the lowest layer to the top layer were they then flatten out and eventually die ( it's where the phrase dead skin cells comes from)

Why should you care?

Your epidermis acts as your face to the world. It's what you present to the world on a daily basis. If it's clear and blemish free, you most likely would like to keep it that way, and if it's not you most likely would like to get it to that clear state.

Remember those cells we talked about earlier? Well the surface of your skin is made up of those dead skin cells. They play a big part in making your skin look dull, clogged and lifeless. They can also build around your pores and exaggerate them, making them appear even larger

What can you do to help your skin