‘Beauty is only skin deep’ – a phrase which originated and evolved from the works of British poet Sir Thomas Overbury in 1613 – “All the carnall beauty of my wife, is but skin deep.”1 Indeed he was correct to a point, but the question arises, how deep? The study of dermatology has revealed complex but vital functions of the skin, which can be classified into three main categories of protection, regulation and sensation2 and are achieved through the layers of the skin; the epidermis, the dermis and the hypodermis/ subcutaneous fat. In this report we will focus on the epidermal layer and its barrier functions.
The epidermal layer comprises four main layers: the stratum basale, stratum spinosum, stratum granulosum and stratum corneum; and it also has a fifth layer (if we include the stratum lucidum found in areas such as the palms and soles). These layers mainly consist of keratinocytes…
