THE LIVING SKIN: EPIDERMIS
At first glance the skin seems pretty unremarkable, just a thin, flesh-toned covering for the body. But if you could peek inside, the sophisticated network k within would amaze you. Generally speaking, the skin is divided into two layers: the epidermis and the dermis.
EPIDERMIS
Whenever you study your skin or run your hands over it, you're touching the top layer, known as the epidermis. The epidermis is partially responsible for the skin's colour, texture and overall appearance. It also helps the skin stay moisturised by retaining water and acting as a barrier from the sun. Have you ever wondered how we're able to live on land and swim in the sea? You can thank the epidermis, for it is impermeable to water.
Topping the epidermis is the stratum corneum, and that is what we see when we undergo our weekly sessions with the magnifying mirror. This coating is made up of flattened dermal cells which lie on the stratum corneum in a basketweave pattern. These cells were once baby cells that, in a process called cell renewal, migrate to the top. In healthy adults, this process happens over a fifteen to thirty day period, and as we age, the process slows down considerably.
Deeper in the epidermis are the three other layers: the transitional layer, the suprabasal layers and the basal layer. In some ways, all are responsible for the overall health and beauty of the skin.
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