Main layers of skin
The Main three layers of skin
Skin has two main layers, both of which serve a purpose. Beneath
the two layers is a layer of subcutaneous fat, which also protects your body
and helps you adjust to outside temperatures. Some health conditions start or
exist only in certain layers of your skin.
Keep reading to understand more about the layers of the skin and their role in different diagnoses.
Epidermis
The epidermis is the top layer of your skin. It’s the only layer
that is visible to the eyes. The epidermis is thicker than you might expect and
has five sublayers.
Your epidermis is constantly shedding dead skin cells from the
top layer and replacing them with new healthy cells that grow in lower layers.
It is also home to your pores, which allow oil and sweat to escape.
There are conditions that start in the epidermis layer of your
skin. These conditions can be caused by allergies, irritations, genetics,
bacteria, or autoimmune reactions. Some of them are:
- Seborrheic
dermatitis (dandruff)
- Atopic
dermatitis (eczema)c
- Plaque psoriasis
- skin fragility
syndrome Boils
- Boils
- Nevus (birthmark,
mole, or “port wine stain”) Acne
- Acne
- Melanoma (skin
cancer)
- Keratosis (harmless
skin growths) Epidermoid cysts
- Epidermoid cysts
- Pressure ulcers (bedsores)
Dermis
The dermis is thicker than the epidermis and contains all sweat
and oil glands, hair follicles, connective tissues, nerve endings, and lymph
vessels. While the epidermis covers your body in a visible layer, the dermis is
the layer of skin that really enables the function of pathogen protection that
your body needs.
Since the dermis contains collagen and elastin, it also helps
support the structure of skin that we see.
Here are some of the conditions that occur in or start in the
dermis. Some of these conditions can eventually impact your epidermis:
- Dermatofibroma (benign
skin bumps on the legs)
- Sebaceous cysts (cysts
that contain sebum, an oil your body produces)
- dermoid cysts
(cysts that contain hair or teeth)
- Cellulitis
(a bacterial infection of the skin)
- rhytides
(wrinkles)
Subcutis
The layer of skin beneath the dermis is sometimes called the
subcutaneous fat, subcutis, or hypodermis layer. This layer provides insulation
for your body, keeping you warm. It also provides a cushion that works like a
shock absorber surrounding your vital organs.
There are plenty of blood vessels contained in the hypodermis.
This is the layer that attaches your skin to the muscles and tissue below it.
This layer can be thicker in some parts of your body than others and tends to
be determined by genetics.
Unlike visceral fat, which accumulates on your body as a result
of metabolism, diet, exercise, and other factors, subcutaneous fat is always
underneath your skin and shouldn’t worry you.
One condition that occurs in this layer is called panniculitis.
This condition is characterized by inflammation in the layer of fatty tissue
under your dermis. In newborn babies, this condition is called “subcutaneous
fat necrosis of the newborn.”
Sarcoidosis,a condition that causes lumps to form in your skin
tissue, can also impact the hypodermis. If your body has trouble regulating
your internal temperature, it could be a sign of Raynaud’s phenomenon and related to your subcutaneous fatty tissue.
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