What is the anatomy of the skin?
What factors affect skin health and aging
of the skin? Cont't 1 Cont't 2
What are Retin-A (tretinoin) and retinoids?
Retin-A 2 Retin-A 3
What is retinol?
What is copper peptide?
What are alpha-hydroxy acids and skin exfoliation? Con't
What other topical treatments are available?
What is skin resurfacing?
Skin Resurfacing 2
Skin Resurfacing 3
Skin Resurfacing 4
Skin Resurfacing 5
How can I treat oily skin? Oily Skin 2
Oily Skin 3
How can I treat scars?
Scars 2
How can I treat visible capillaries?

Most people start seeing aging effects in the skin by their late 30s. Over the years you may also accumulate scars from cuts, scrapes, and burns. This FAQ answers common questions about how to slow skin aging and improve the appearance of aged or scarred skin, short of plastic surgery. It does not cover injected fillers, Botox(botulism toxin), cosmetics, cleansers,or moisturizers. Rather, it deals with products and procedures that can improve overall skin structure. It is based on a review of medical research, books on skincare, consumer reviews and personal experience. This information applies to both men and women. The pharmaceutical information is for customers in the U.S.A.

This FAQ does not constitute professional medical advice. You should consult a medical professional for that advice. Most internists and general practitioners have basic medical skincare knowledge, but for specialized advice and procedures you should consult with a dermatologist or a nurse or physician-assistant who specializes in dermatology. Plastic surgeons alsodo certain skincare procedures such as resurfacing and scar revision.

WHAT IS THE ANATOMY OF THE SKIN?

The outer layer of the skin is the epidermis, and the next layer is the dermis. The epidermis, which is generally less than a millimeter thick on the face, is constantly being regenerated as surface cells are shed. As epidermal cells are pushed to the skin surface, they become flattened, and a hard protein called keratin is formed in them.

The thicker dermis under the epidermis contains collagen and elastin fibers that give skin its elasticity. The pores contain fine hairs and secrete sebum (skin oil) to keep your skin moist. Sweat glands open onto the skin surface to cool the body in high temperatures.

Both the pores and sweat glands are sources for new cells that spread out on top of the dermis to form the epidermis. The appearance of your skin is governed by the condition of both the dermis and epidermis.

As we age, wrinkles and fine lines appear, caused mostly by damage to the collagen and elastin in the dermis. The epidermis also becomes thinner. Because of these changes, the pores appear larger and the surface texture becomes more coarse.

Dynamic wrinkles, which are caused by making various facial expressions over the years, become more prominent due to loss of elasticity in the dermis. Some of this skin damage is caused by intrinsic cellular aging, but most is caused by extrinsic damage from sun exposure (called photoaging or photodamage). Solar ultraviolet (UV) light also causes most skin discolorations and cancers. The best-looking skin most people have is in areas without much sun exposure - under the arms, on the breasts, or the rear. Dark-skinned people usually have much less photoaging because the melanin pigment in their skin partially blocks sunlight from reaching the lower dermis.

The dermis can also be damaged by injuries. If a wound penetrates deeply into the dermis, thick, uneven scar collagen can form as the wound heals. This produces a raised scar. If a wound causes significant tissue loss in the dermis, a pit or depressed scar may form. Burn scars can have an irregular appearance with both raised and depressed areas.

While the condition of the dermis is reflected in wrinkles, lines and scars, the condition of the epidermis affects the surface texture of your skin. Generally, the best appearance is produced by a thick epidermis. A thicker epidermis also tends to minimize the appearance of pores and depressed scars. However, if the epidermis grows abnormally or is excessively dry, the skin can appear rough or scaly. At the other extreme, stripping off the upper epidermal layers with excessive scrubbing or over-use of cosmetic acids can temporarily produce an uneven surface texture and increase the size of the pore openings. Scraped or burned areas sometimes have a thinner epidermis, even after complete healing. See shaving tips.

Courtesy of Anti-Aging Skincare FAQ, version 3.0, posted to Usenet.