Healthy Skin Layers

1. The three major layers that make up healthy skin are the epidermis, dermis, and the subcutaneous tissue (hypodermis). The epidermis is a keratinized stratified squamous epithelium that resists abrasion and reduces water loss. It consists of four distinct cell types and five layers. The dermis, the second major skin region containing strong, flexible connective tissue. It is composed of dense irregular connective tissue. Also, the dermis contains the blood vessels, nerve fibers and lymphatic vessels. The sweat glands and hair follicles reside in the dermis layer. The subcutaneous tissue or the hypodermis is deep to the skin. It is composed of adipose and areolar connective tissue. It is not part of the skin. Also, it stores fat and connects the skin to the underlying muscles.

2. In first-degree burns only the epidermis is damaged. They can cause redness, swelling and pain in the infected area. First-degree burns heal in two to three days. In second-degree burns the epidermis and upper region of the dermis is damaged. The symptoms of the first-degree burns occur, but blisters also appear. The burned area is red and painful. These burns heal within three to four weeks, and long-term …show more content…
In third-degree burns, the skin must be removed first and the area is flooded with topical antibiotics. Then the burned area is temporarily covered with a synthetic membrane, animal (pig) skin, cadaver skin, or “living bandage” made from the thin amniotic sac membrane that surrounds a fetus. The temporary covering is removed and replaced by skin harvested from somewhere on the patient’s body or by a synthesis skin graft. In the synthesis skin graft placement, a silicone “epidermis” bound to a spongy “dermal” layer composed of collagen and cartilage is applied to the debrided area. Over time, the patient’s own dermal tissue absorbs and replaces the artificial one. The silicone sheet is peeled off and replaces with a network of epidermal cells cultured from the patient’s own