Before visiting a Coral Springs dermatologist, it may be helpful to have an understanding of the skin’s anatomy. That’s because your skin is critical to life. Not only does it serve to protect your internal organs, but it is intricately involved with bodily functions such as helping to regulate body temperature and displaying warning signs if there are real or potential problems happening within the body.
The skin is often called the largest organ on or in the body. That’s because the average adult carries around nearly 6 pounds of the stuff. And if you stretched it out it would cover 18-20 square feet.
So with that in mind, below is an overview of the three layers of the skin. Use this information to ask questions when you visit the dermatologist.
Epidermis
The epidermis is the outer part of the skin that is visible to you and everyone looking at you. However, what you may not know is that the epidermis isn’t simply one layer of skin. It is actually comprised of 5 thin layers (or stratum).
The upper most layer is called the stratum cornuem. It is dead skin cells that shed every couple of weeks. And the bottom layer is called stratum basale which constantly pushes the other layers toward the surface.
The cells within the epidermis are extremely important. That’s because two key roles that they play include producing pigment and defending your skin against disease and other harmful elements.
Now, although it sounds like the five layers that make up the epidermis are thick when combined, that’s not so. Just to give you a couple of examples, the epidermis of your eyelids is a mere .05 millimeter which is .00197 inches. Even on the bottom of your feet, where your epidermis is thickest, it is just under 1.5 millimeters or .0599 inches.
Dermis
Beneath the epidermis is the dermis (also referred to the cutis). But rather than being comprised of multiple layers of stratum, it is made up of collagen, connective tissue, sweat glands, hair follicles, and fibers.
The dermis varies in thickness depending on the area of the body. For example, over your eyelids, it is about six times thicker than the epidermis layer.
As mentioned, the dermis is where you’ll find hair follicles and sebaceous glands. These glands produce an oil that coats and protects your skin. But that is the same oil that can get trapped in the hair follicle, and attract bacteria that can lead to acne.
This layer is also important because it houses nerves that allow you to feel changes in temperature, pain, etc.
Hypodermis
This deeper level of the skin is called the hypodermis or subcutaneous tissue. This is where you’ll find blood vessels, fat, nerves, and connective tissue.
This is the layer that helps to regulate the temperature of your skin, and to some extent, your entire body.
So now you know the three layer of the skin and their importance. The epidermis is the visible outer layer. The dermis is the middle layer where hair follicles are located. And the hypodermis is the third layer that is comprised of mostly fat and tissue. Now, you’re prepared to generally understand and ask questions when conversing with the dermatologist about your skin condition.
