LL2.H1.2 +D2 Skin Thickness
Skin Thickness:
- You are probably aware that the skin across your own body varies in thickness
- Variations in thickness are normally related to the extent of wear and tear associated with each region
- Skin can be described as thin skin, as found on abdomen, or thick skin, as found on the soles of the feet and the palms of the hand
- In reality there are many differences in the thickness of the skin across different regions of the body
- Both the dermis and the epidermis are thicker in thick skin than in thin skin
- However, the most dramatic differences are to be noted in the epidermis and particularly in the stratum corneum, the outermost layer of the epidermis
- In thin skin there may be less than 10 cell layers in the stratum corneum but in thick skin this may exceed 100 cell layers
- Skin may thicken or thin in response to changing environmental conditions
- For example, an office worker will soon develop thicker skin on the palms of the hand and fingers if they take up heavy manual work
- There are also many disease processes which affect skin
Relative Skin Thickness:
- The following diagrams show the relative skin thickness in different regions of the body
- Note that both the epidermis and the dermis may vary in thickness depending on the region of the body
