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Skin Anatomy Basics  

Learn About Your Skin

OUR BASIC SKIN ANATOMY:

Our skin is the largest organ of our bodies.  It teaches us about the our genetic family history by giving us information about our skin's color and texture.  

It also tells us whether we will burn or tan when exposed to the sun, thus telling us how much melanin we have inherited.  We also learn how after hard work or exercise we create a unique scent created by our combination of skin secretions from the sebaceous and sweat glands.  It's interestesting to note that even the amount of perspiration we have is unique.   

It's safe to say that our skin is our best protector. The actual thickness of  skin varies throughout the body, with the thinnest skin (approximately 0.5mm) being the eyelids, while the thickest skin (approximately 4mm) is on the palms of the hands and the soles of our feet.

SKIN ANATOMY: Concerning Protection

Despite the skins lack of density, it protects our bodies in the following ways:

• It protects body tissues and organs against injuries.

• It helps to regulate your body’s temperature by making your pores smaller when it’s cold, and making pores larger when it’s hot.

• It acts as a barrier that helps to protect your immune system from bacteria and disease.

• It keeps the blood, water and lymph fluids from evaporating.

• It is a protectant against the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. The amount of sun protection you have depends on the amount of melanin you inherited.

• The nerves in your skin receive the stimuli that tell your brain when your skin has been touched.

• The nerves in your skin help your brain respond to sensations of hot and cold.

SKIN ANATOMY:  Composition

The skin is composed of three layers, the epidermis, the dermis, and subcutaneous fat.

• Epidermis: This is the top layer of skin, and it is somewhat translucent, so light can partially pass through it. The epidermis has no blood vessels, therefore the top layer gets it’s nutrients and oxygen from the deeper layers. The epidermis is attached to the next layer, the dermis, via a membrane.
  

• Dermis: The second, deeper layer of your skin. This is where your hair roots and sweat glands are located.  The dermis also contains blood vessels and nerves.
  

• Subcutaneous fat: The lowest layer of skin where the larger blood vessels and nerves are located. The subcutaneous fat layer is composed of fat-filled cells call adipose cells. The depth of the subcutaneous fat layer is different for everyone.  It is attached to your bones and muscles by a connective tissue which is loose, allowing the skin to move.

Note:  With an excess of subcutaneous fat, the connection points of the connective tissue becomes more obvious. This causes a rippled or dimmpled look which is called, cellulite.

Conclusion Of Skin Anatomy:  Respect your skin daily with good care and consideration of all the elements.  It's your bodies best protector.  If you feel any sudden changes in your skin,  have your skin examined by your doctor or dermatologist.    

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