The layers of the skin



     The skin is made up of many different layers.  The outermost layer of the skin is called the epidermis.  The epidermis is the top layer of the skin, and so it is the entrance to pores, sweat glands, and hair follicles, which lead into the deeper layers of the skin and into the blood stream.  The epidermis serves as a barrier to infection and water loss and, forms new cells.  Many skin products break down the barrier and open up the skin to other dangerous chemicals. 
     The next layer of the skin is called the dermis.  The dermis is the thickest layer of the skin that consists of connective tissue, glands, hair follicles, and other elements of the skin.  The dermis provides nourishment and waste removal from the cells.  The last layer, the hypodermis, is technically not part of the skin.  It lies below the dermis and attaches the skin to the bone and muscles.  It contains the blood vessels and nerves and insulates and pads the skin with layers of fat.