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Article: Skin Deep.(skin physiology and research)(menopause and skin research)
- Article from:
- U.S. News & World Report
- Article date:
- November 14, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 All rights reserved. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Flawless skin is a thing of beauty. We coddle it, we nourish it, we try to improve it. Yet, we regularly dis it as "only" skin, misunderstood and undervalued. It's a shame. Man has never made anything better as sensor, shield, and communicator.
Skin is the great protector. Its outer layer, the epidermis, is thinner than Saran Wrap; it is stain-resistant and waterproof. Tightly woven epidermal cells form a sturdy barrier to hold moisture in as well as keep unwanted water out. On the surface, dead, compacted, and sloughing cells add toughness, a kind of see-through coat of armor. With a cleverness the military would envy, the epidermis brims with stem cells ready ...