Knowing this will take the guesswork out of your skincare!

Skin Anatomy

As Summer approaches, it is especially important to understand the best ways to protect your skin. Understanding the anatomy of your skin will help you make the best choices for professional treatments and home skincare. 

Your skin has 3 main layers: the hypodermis, the dermis, and the epidermis. The hypodermis is the innermost layer of our skin, the purpose of which is to store fat and insulate. This is the area we deal with the least when it comes to skincare, as the upper layers of your skin, by design, protect your body from external materials penetrating into your bloodstream. 

The dermis is the center or core layer of the skin, and this is where most of your skin density is — in other words, the collagen and water content that keeps our skin plump and youthful-looking. We can affect change in this layer of the skin with quality skin care treatments that are designed to effectively deliver active ingredients to the areas of the skin that stimulate healthy processes in the dermis. 

The dermis is also full of blood vessels that feed our skin cells healing oxygen and nutrients, as well as carrying away toxins — so this is where internal health can play a role in the appearance of our skin.

And finally, the epidermis is the outermost layer of the skin — the layer you see and that we can affect the most immediate change on with skincare.   

The skin cells that you can see are born in the bottom layer of your epidermis — where they begin big and plump and full of water. As they work their way up to the surface of your skin, they lose more and more water content, until they essentially ‘dry out.’ These flattened, dry skin cells then naturally flake off — a process that, when our skin is functioning optimally, takes approximately 28 days.

To understand your specific skin concerns, this may help:

For aging skin:

As we age, our cell’s life cycle can slow down, which means we have a thicker layer of the flat, dried-out cells called corneocytes over top of our healthy, plump, younger skin cells. This can lead to dullness, dehydration, and the texture that you’re concerned with. That’s why advanced exfoliation treatments such as the hydrafacial, which does not strip your skin barrier, is super effective to help speed up your cell turnover. This also boosts the production of the plumping collagen in the deeper layers of the skin to smooth fine lines and wrinkles. 

For acne and congested skin:

When we’re producing excess oil or dealing with hormonal imbalances, these cells may not slough off as readily — and in turn, they can clog our pores and cause the breakouts and congestion you’re concerned with. That’s why I would recommend adding LED blue lights High frequency  to help aid your skin in this natural process.

For dehydrated and sensitized skin:

These flattened cells are an essential part of our natural skin barrier, which means they play an important role in keeping hydration in while keeping external aggressors and irritants out. Sometimes, if our skin is overexposed to the elements or harsh products, it can cause a breakdown in this protective layer, leading to excess water loss and the redness and irritation you’ve been experiencing. That’s why I’m going to recommend boosters and Oxygen Dome with LED lights to help build back up your protective skin barrier.

For all skin types:

For optimal results, it’s important to come in for your monthly treatments, so we can work with your skin’s natural 28-day cellular renewal cycle. In the days immediately following your treatment, your cells receive the most nutrients and “instruction” to create healthy new cells that will reach the surface of your skin about 4 weeks from now. The healthier the surface of the skin, the more receptive it will be to your treatment — meaning better results. Keeping this schedule means we’ll be building on the results from today's treatment, rather than starting from square one 2-3 months from now. Understanding your skin’s cellular cycle allows you to optimize your results for that lovely glow!