The Centre, P.C. - Plastic Surgery Blog

Structure of the Skin - Friday, November 14, 2008

To care for the skin in the best possible way, it helps to have a clear picture of its structure. Although it seems like a thin membrane and we take it for granted much of the time, skin is complex and has layers and sub-layers. It is a protection for the body, being water-resistant, filled with blood vessels for heat regulation, and cushioned by fat for insulation.

Three Main Layers

1. The epidermis on top, containing five sub-layers. New cells are formed in the lowest sub-layer and move upwards to the top sub-layer, where they are discarded. Epidermal cells contain keratin, a tough, fibrous protein which forms a callus when the skin is rubbed or put under chronic pressure. This is added protection and can be useful, as when a guitar player develops them on the fingertips, for example.
2. The dermis in the middle, containing two sub-layers. It also contains many structures such as sweat glands, hair follicles, sebaceous glands, blood vessels, and nerves. Collagen and elastin, two fibrous proteins, interweave here to form a support matrix for the skin.
3. The subcutaneous layer which is not strictly part of the skin. It contains fat which provides insulation for the body and more support for the skin's surface.

Effective Skin Care

When lotions are applied to the skin they do not penetrate to the dermis. Lotions containing collagen or elastin are therefore not going to bolster the support matrix in that layer. To do that, injectable fillers are used, which work in different ways to add volume. This plumps up the skin surface and makes it smoother and more youthful-looking.

Lotions and creams are highly valuable though, as they add moisture to the epidermal layers. These layers take a beating from the environment, with UV rays, dry air, cold, air pollution, wind and so forth. The skin regenerates itself as we sleep so good skin care at night is important.

The Centre, P.C. offers several lines of excellent skin care products: Obagi, Centre Yourself, and Kinerase, plus nutritional supplements that help with skin care. It usually benefits your skin most if you settle on a cluster of products which give you good results and stick to them. Develop a routine which you can comfortably fit into your schedule, using the same beneficial products each day.

To learn more about good skin care please call or email our cosmetic surgery office today and we will set up a personal consultation for you.