Chapter 1 - Skin Structure
Look at your face in a mirror. What do you see?
At first sight your skin looks like a simple, decorative covering for your body, but it is far more than this. For instance, parts of it develop from the same tissues as the brain, and remain directly connected to the brain by nerves. Skin is a vital outpost of the nervous system and is the closest contact we have with the outside world. Our sense of touch operates through our skin: we feel pain and changes in temperature. The lips, which are part of the skin, are amongst the most sensitive areas of the body.
Skin is not just a simple flat sheet, but is composed of several skin layers. The very top skin layer is quite tough and, although microscopically thin, is our 'hide'. It is being constantly worn down and replaced. It plays a vital part in preventing excessive loss of moisture from the body, and helps to give healthy skin its attractive appearance. The deeper layers contain all the structures that give skin its strength and elasticity, and are home to important structures like the hair roots and sweat glands.
As we age the natural strength and elasticity in our skin layers decline, with the result that gravity makes it sag and wrinkles develop. Although certain skin care products make wild claims to be able to 'restore' youth, there is no evidence that cosmetic products can prevent this natural decline of skin elasticity - we can only help to preserve what we have. It is mostly the damage to the deeper layers that will determine how our skin looks as we get older, and this is largely self-inflicted because we over-expose ourselves to the sun.
Before we can discuss how to take care of skin we have to understand what it is and how it works.