Category
Foundations
56 entries
- The Circadian Rhythm of Skinthe roughly 24-hour internal cycle that influences how skin functions across the day and night, affecting processes such as barrier repair, cell turnover, blood...
- Intrinsic vs Extrinsic Skin Agingthe two broad categories describing why skin changes over time: intrinsic aging is the natural, genetically programmed process that unfolds regardless of environment, while...
- Skin Density and Thicknessmeasures of how much structural material the skin contains and how far its layers extend, shaped by the epidermis, the collagen-rich dermis, and underlying...
- Skin Elasticity and Firmnessthe skin's ability to stretch and then snap back to its original position, governed largely by elastin fibers, while firmness reflects the structural support...
- The Lipid Bilayer of the Stratum Corneumthe layered arrangement of fatty molecules that fills the spaces between cells in the skin's outermost layer, forming a water-resistant seal. Often compared to...
- Skin Hydration and Water Contentthe amount of water held within the skin, particularly in the outermost layer, which keeps it soft, flexible, and functioning as an effective barrier....
- The Nail Unitthe collection of structures that produce and support the nail, including the nail plate, nail bed, matrix, cuticle, and surrounding folds. Together they generate...
- Hair Follicles and the Pilosebaceous Unitthe combined structure of a hair follicle and its attached sebaceous gland, which together produce hair and sebum through a shared opening at the...
- Sweat Glands and Thermoregulationstructures in the skin that produce sweat, which cools the body as it evaporates from the surface. This process is the main way skin...
- Nerve Endings and Skin Sensationspecialized sensory receptors distributed throughout the skin that detect touch, pressure, temperature, vibration, and pain. They convert these stimuli into nerve signals, allowing the...
- Blood Supply to the Skinthe network of vessels that delivers oxygen and nutrients to skin cells, removes waste, and helps regulate body temperature. This circulation runs mainly through...
- Estrogen and Skina primary sex hormone that supports skin thickness, collagen content, and hydration by influencing fibroblasts and the skin's water-binding components. Its decline, particularly around...
- Androgens and Sebum Productiona group of hormones, including testosterone and its potent derivative DHT, that stimulate the sebaceous glands to produce sebum. Their activity largely determines how...
- Cortisol and the Skina steroid hormone released by the adrenal glands during stress that influences the skin by modulating inflammation, barrier function, and oil production. When chronically...
- Hormones and Skin Healththe influence that chemical messengers like estrogen, androgens, cortisol, and thyroid hormones have on the skin's oil production, hydration, collagen, and overall appearance. Because...
- The Endocrine System and Skinthe connection between the body's hormone-producing glands and the skin, which is both a target of circulating hormones and capable of producing and responding...
- Glycation and Skin Aginga process in which sugar molecules bind to proteins such as collagen and elastin, forming compounds called advanced glycation end products that can stiffen...
- Antioxidant Defense in Skinthe collection of enzymes, vitamins, and other molecules that neutralize reactive oxygen species and help protect skin cells from oxidative damage. This defense includes...
- Free Radicals and Reactive Oxygen Speciesunstable molecules that carry one or more unpaired electrons or reactive oxygen atoms, making them prone to reacting with and damaging nearby cell structures....
- Oxidative Stressan imbalance between the production of reactive, oxygen-containing molecules and the body's ability to neutralize them with antioxidants, resulting in damage to cells and...
- The Skin Immune Systemthe network of specialized cells, physical barriers, and signaling molecules within the skin that defends against pathogens, monitors for threats, and helps maintain tissue...
- Inflammation in Skinthe body's protective biological response to injury, irritation, infection, or allergens, involving immune cells, signaling molecules, and changes in blood flow that can produce...
- Skin Tone and Undertonetwo related but distinct qualities of skin color, where tone refers to the surface shade you see (from fair to deep) and undertone refers...
- The Fitzpatrick Skin Typesa widely used classification system that groups skin into six categories based on how it responds to ultraviolet light, ranging from Type I (always...
