The inner layer in return all these, favours, supports the outer layer, nourishes it with that most important commodity - moisture. Also it contains the foundations or building blocks of the skin. Collagen (fibrous protein) to provide strength and structure; blood vessels which deliver essential nutrients and remove wastes. The skin reflects many internal diseases, acting as an early warning sign for such conditions as diabetes, hormonal imbalance, and internal cancer. The skin absorbs harmful external factors such as ionizing radiation, ultraviolet light, and hundreds of toxic fumes and chemicals, preventing them from entering the body and causing damage to vital organs. A thin layer of fat is found underneath the dermis. it not only provides a protective padding, but also gives the skin a full, healthy look.

As time goes by, specific structural changes occur in each layer, and the sum of these changes is what produces the appearance of age. The outer layer consists of several rows of living cells covered by multiple sheets of densely compacted dead cells. This layer is constantly growing, just like the related structures of hair and nail. The living cells are born at the base of the outer layer. They quickly die, and the dead cells are then pushed toward the outer surface of the skin by the arrival of new, living cells. If you remove a portion of the outer layer, it will grow back as good as new, much as a hair will grow back if cut off flush with the scalp.

skin stucture

Skin is the body's largest organ. The skin can be divided into two layers: the outer layer which you see and an inner supporting layer, which you don't see. The outer layer's primary function is to provide physical protection for the inner layer. In addition, the outer layer also acts as a highly efficient barrier. In this capacity, it not only seals in all the body's fluids, but it keeps a number of potentially harmful things out of this system. Substances that can penetrate the outer layer are easily absorbed into the general circulation and only a very few chemicals and drugs have this special ability.