Skin is the body’s largest organ. It protects your body from germs and regulates body temperature. Nerves in the skin help you feel sensations like hot and cold and it holds hair follicles

What are the layers of the skin?
⦁ Skin is made up of 3 layers.
⦁ Epidermis, the top layer
⦁ Dermis, the middle layer
⦁ Hypodermis, the bottom or fatty layer.

What is the epidermis [top layer of the skin] do?
The epidermis is the very top layer of your skin and contains keratin, a protein inside cells and is a protective barrier. It makes new skin and it protects your body from germs and infections. It also provides the skin color. The epidermis contains melanin, the pigment that gives skin its colour. The more melanin the darker the color.

What does the dermis [middle layer of the skin] do?
The dermis makes 90% of the skin’s thickness. It contains:

A)Collagen and elastin: Collagen is the protein that makes skin strong, tight, and resilient. Another protein found in the dermis is elastin and it keeps the skin flexible it also helps stretch skin regain its shape. . Unfortunately, we lose 2% of our collagen every year as we age and this results in wrinkles, fine lines and sagging skin .

😎 Hair follicles originate from this layer and attach to the dermis.Nerves are also found in this layer and helps distinguish between hot and cold, itchy, softness and pain.
C) Oil glands in the dermis help keep the skin soft and smooth,
D) Sweat glands in the dermis release sweat through the skin to regulate your body temperature
E) Blood vessels provide nutrients to the epidermis keeping the skin layers healthy

Laser will burn the hair follicle in this layer to get rid of unwanted hair.
Medical aesthetic treatments target the collagen and elastin in this layer to tighten skin and get rid of scars and wrinkles.

What does the hypodermis [bottom layer of the skin] do? The hypodermis is the fatty layer of the skin
It cushions muscles and bones and has connective tissue to connect layers of skin to muscles and bones.
It also regulates body temperature to keep you from getting too cold or too hot.

Treating the Skin
In order to maintain beautiful, radiant skin, follow the pneumonic NEWS
Nutrition: a healthy diet consisting of fruits and vegetables for vitamins and minerals
Exercise: helps the skin glow
Water: drink 8 glasses of water daily to hydrate skin
Sleep: sleep enough hours to restore and repair skin
In order to improve the aging signs of skin and get results, different modalities are applied to the skin : externally with topical skin creams and facials, different types of heat treatments ( ie: laser, infra-red, radiofrequency), microneedling, light therapy and internally with vitamins. These modalities target the different layers of the skin : epidermis, dermis and hypodermis to achieve skin that is clear, smooth, without pigmentation, and toned. Skin needs multiple treatments of different modalities to achieve the look that is desired.

Treating skin is a marathon not a sprint. It can take a minimum of 8 to 12 weeks to see any improvement in the skin.