Summary
Q All my life I've been plagued with terrible dry skin. Despite using plenty of Emulsiderm bath oil and moisturising cream, I still have copious amounts of skin falling like snow when I undress. Is there any way that I can kick-start my body into doing its job properly?
A I get so many letters like yours. We have to remember that skin is a living, breathing, constantly changing organ. You can compare its structure to the layers of an onion. The outer layer, or epidermis, consists of cell strata that are in a constant process of turnover, with a life cycle of about 27 days. The very top layer of cells (stratum corneum) is at the end of the cycle; it's also called the horny layer because cells here are basically 'dead'. As this outer layer peels away, the next one is exposed, dries out and peels away in turn. All the action takes place in the middle layer of skin, or dermis, which is home to nerves, blood vessels, glands, hair follicles and cells that are actively multiplying; also elastin, which provides firmness and elasticity, and collagen. Under that is a fatty layer, which cushions the skin from bones and muscles.See the full content of this document
Extract
Is There a Solution to Very Dry Skin?
The cells in the epidermis are mostly keratinocytes, which contain keratin a fibre that packs the cells in straight lines, and makes the outer horny layer a tough, res...
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