Category
Glossary
148 entries
- Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation (PIH)a form of temporary skin darkening that appears after inflammation or injury, such as acne, eczema, or irritation, when the affected area produces excess...
- Hyperpigmentation (Term)the general term for areas of skin that appear darker than the surrounding tone because of excess melanin, the pigment that gives skin its...
- Sebaceous Filamenta natural, tube-like structure that lines the inside of a pore and channels sebum, the skin's oil, up to the surface. They are a...
- Cysta large, soft, fluid- or pus-filled lesion that forms deep beneath the skin's surface, often appearing as a painful, swollen lump. Cystic lesions are...
- Nodulea large, firm, inflamed lesion that develops deep within the skin, often feeling like a solid, painful lump beneath the surface. Nodular lesions represent...
- Pustulea small, inflamed skin lesion that contains visible pus, typically appearing as a red bump with a white or yellow center. In acne it...
- Papulea small, raised, solid bump on the skin that is usually less than about five millimeters across and contains no visible pus. In the...
- Comedonea clogged hair follicle formed when a mix of excess oil and dead skin cells becomes trapped inside a pore. It is the most...
- Keratinizationthe process by which skin cells called keratinocytes mature, fill with the protein keratin, and move toward the surface to form the tough, protective...
- Desquamationthe natural shedding of dead cells from the outermost layer of the skin, known as the stratum corneum. It is the final visible step...
- Cell Turnoverthe continuous process by which skin sheds old cells from its surface and replaces them with newer cells rising from the deeper layers of...
- Extracellular Matrixthe network of proteins and molecules that surrounds and supports the cells of the dermis, providing structure, strength, and a medium for hydration. It...
- Glycosaminoglycana family of long, chain-like carbohydrate molecules found throughout the skin's extracellular matrix, where they attract and hold water. Hyaluronic acid is the best-known...
- Hyaluronic Acid (Term)a naturally occurring molecule in the skin belonging to the glycosaminoglycan family, known for its remarkable ability to hold water. It helps keep the...
- Elastina stretchy structural protein in the dermis that allows skin to snap back into place after being stretched or compressed. Produced by fibroblasts, it...
- Collagenthe most abundant structural protein in the body and the main building block of the dermis, forming a fibrous network that gives skin strength...
- Fibroblasta key connective-tissue cell found in the dermis that produces collagen, elastin, and other components of the extracellular matrix. By generating these structural proteins,...
- Melanocytea specialized cell in the base of the epidermis that produces melanin, the pigment that gives skin, hair, and eyes their color. Melanin also...
- Keratinocytethe most abundant cell type in the epidermis, responsible for producing keratin, a tough structural protein that helps form the skin's protective barrier. These...
- Hypodermisthe deepest layer of skin, also called the subcutaneous layer or subcutis, made up largely of fat and connective tissue beneath the dermis. It...
- Dermisthe thick middle layer of skin that sits beneath the epidermis and above the hypodermis, providing structural strength, elasticity, and nourishment. It houses collagen...
- Epidermisthe outermost of the skin's main layers, a cell-rich tissue that forms the body's protective barrier and continually renews itself from the bottom up....
- Stratum Corneumthe outermost layer of the epidermis, made of flattened, non-living skin cells embedded in a matrix of barrier lipids. Often described as a brick-and-mortar...
- Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF)a collection of water-attracting compounds within the outer skin cells, including amino acids, urea, lactate, and PCA, that draw and hold moisture in the...
