The skin is a very complex organ that consists of different layers.
The upper layer of the skin is called the epidermis; this layer is composed of mainly dead cells. These dead cells shed off in a circle of 28 days and new ones grow up. The epidermis is our skin’s front line of defense against the harmful effect of the sun and bacteria. It is nourished by blood vessels in the deeper layer of the skin which provide it with “skin food” and oxygen.
The inner layer of the skin is called the dermis. It is composed of living cells. In the dermis you’ll find hair follicles, sweat glands and the sebaceous gland which produce sebum (oil). The sebum is the skin’s natural lubricant and very sensitive to hormones. That’s why at puberty when the hormones are very active, teenagers break out a lot especially boys. When some ladies are in their periods also they brake out because the glands are secreting excess oils during that period.
This layer consists of mainly collagen which is a protein that is responsibly for the structural support of the skin. Women have less collagen than men and men produce more sebum than women. Because men have more sebum than women, their sebaceous glands work way into their eighties. As the woman gets older into her thirties her estrogen level starts to drop, the collagen decreases, the skin also starts drying up and then she experiences gradual thinning of skin.
This collagen is packaged in bundles and is held together by the elastic fiber called elastin.
