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Examining Skin Texture & Determining
Skin Type
Refining texture is an essential condition of beautiful
skin, and learning how to keep your skin healthy means
understanding structure and function. Although the
pattern and texture of skin is not visible to the human eye,
an enlarged image of skin would show tiny triangular lines
that look much like "hills" and Valleys." In general,
skin with fine, even, triangular lines, or valleys, create
soft, plump hills, and represent skin that is in good
condition. Lack of moisture, loss of collagen, and UV
damage can cause rough, uneven skin texture, fine lines and
wrinkles.
HILLS & VALLEYS
Unevenness on
the skin's surface created by fine lines, or valleys, and hills that
are surrounded by them.
EPIDERMIS
The epidermis
is the top layer of skin and is regenerated every 28 to 30 days,
always flaking off. If it didn't, it would become hard and sluggish.
The other layers of your epidermis are alive.
DERMIS
The dermis is
the main component of skin and consists of collagen and elastin that
keeps skin dense and pliable ― elastic filaments that make up the
connective tissue.
HYPODERMIS
A
continuation of the Dermis, consisting of loose connective
tissue, fatty tissue, lymph ducts, and blood vessels.
Skin looses its elasticity when the tissue becomes hard.
COLLAGEN & ELASTIN
Collagen
keeps skin plump and firm whereas elastin keeps the skin flexible
and resilient. Collagen and elastin can only be renewed with
outside help.
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Ideal Skin
Characteristics:
Skin texture is even, triangular, refined and clear. Valleys
are deep and defined, and hills look soft, plump and fresh.
Pores do not stand out and skin tone is even. The skin is able
to retain moisture and has a smooth, natural glow. |
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Damaged Skin
Characteristics:
Generally, skin texture shows valleys running in one direction.
Skin is more susceptible to irritation and can appear blotchy and
inflamed. Moisture easily evaporates. Typically, skin
that has been exposed to excessive UV light and other external
toxins will not only have poor, rough, uneven texture, but will
usually have freckles, moles, age spots and wrinkles as well.
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Determining Skin
Type - A thorough examination of skin texture
can help determine skin type.
In general, skin
is classified into four different types: oily,
dry, normal, or combination skin. |
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N skin |
Ideal skin with sufficient moisture. Hills
and valleys are visible, triangular and
well-defined. |
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O skin |
Skin
has sufficient moisture but excessive sebum, or
oil secretion, making it prone to cogged pores
and acne. Valleys are difficult to see and
the skin has a slight sheen on the surface.
Skin can appear to have some build-up making it
look dirty, oily and sticky. |
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D skin |
Skin
tends to be dry, flaky and rough. Valleys
are no longer visible and skin appears dull,
discolored and flat. |
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OD skin |
Skin
with both oily and dry areas (delicate skin).
This combination skin type will have
characteristics of dry skin texture in some
areas, and oily skin texture in others. |
Building a Foundation
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COLLAGEN:
Helps increase the
thickness
of skin keeping it
plump and firm. |
ELASTIN:
Keeps skin
flexible
and resilient. |
MOISTURE:
Improves the
texture tone and
overall appearance
of skin. |
Loss of Collagen & Elasticity
Characteristics:
Thin
transparent, sagging skin, fin lines and wrinkles. Hills
appear flattened and valleys are unclear.
Most of us
know that collagen and elastin in your skin are responsible for
keeping it firm and supple. Look at any small child and you
will notice that they have plump, full faces, and smooth, pliable
skin texture. However, as we age, our bodies produce less
amounts of certain types of collagen, including collagen types I,
III and IV, which help increase the thickness of skin makes if
fuller, softer and more supple. The skin's firmness is
supported by collagen and elastin in the dermis, or middle layer of
skin. However, as the dermis starts to deteriorate, it can no
longer support the epidermis, or top layer of skin, and wrinkles and
a slackening face line result.
Lack of Moisture
Characteristics:
Skin texture is rough and valleys run in one direction. Skin
lacks both moisture and oil. Dry skin is generally coarse and
discolored, and is easily irritated and inflamed. Dryness
perpetuates the formation of fine lines and wrinkles as well.
The
epidermis, or top layer of skin, consists of four separate layers
within its structure. The Corneal layer is the outermost
layer, and it is said that the corneal layer contains 10 to 20
percent water. The corneal layer is able to retain moisture
with horny tissue that prevents it from evaporating. However,
tanning or prolonged exposure to sunlight damages the horny layer
and causes skin to become extremely dehydrated. Moisture
starts to evaporate from the corneal layer and cells flatten,
causing dry, dull, rough-textured skin. Horny tissue
eventually peels up and dries out. Aging also diminishes your
skin's ability to retain moisture. Advanced dryness is often
the cause of fine lines and wrinkles.
Excessive Oil
Characteristics:
Skin
secretes an excessive amount of oil, also referred to as sebum.
Skin can appear dirty and sticky and will often have a slight sheen
on the surface. Skin is also easily inflamed and prone to
blemishes, acne and other skin irritations.
The
sebaceous gland is located in the dermis, or middle layer of your
skin. This gland is responsible for secreting sebum, or oil,
that helps retain moisture and protect skin. Knowing the
balance between sebum and moisture within your skin can help
identify the cause of certain skin problems. NMF (Natural
Moisturizing Factor) and sebaceous film ( a thin film made of sebum
and sweat that serves like a moisturizing cream) seal moisture
within the corneal layer and safeguarded the skin from external
irritation. However, high temperatures or changes in hormonal
balance will cause an increase in the amount of sebum that is
secreted in skin. Excessive amounts of sebum can mix with dirt
and other impurities which harden and clog pores. As a result,
skin becomes inflamed, and acne and other skin irritations can
occur.
Sun Exposure & Aging
Did you
know that unprotected skin can be damaged by the sun's UV rays in as
little as 15 minutes? As we age, our skin is repeatedly
exposed to damaging sunlight and over time, skin that has been
exposed to excessive UV light can accumulate a considerable amount
of damage. However, sun damage doesn't only affect the skin's
surface. Science has documented that ultraviolet light
destroys skin at the cellular level resulting in Apoptosis, or
"cellular death", which destroys DNA and accelerates aging.
Eventually, this exposure causes significant damage to DNA. In
fact, persistent DNA damage is the primary cause of aging on the
skin.
There are
2 types of UV rays that can damage skin, UVA and UVB. UVA rays
do not immediately affectg our skin. Instead, UVA rays are
slowly absorbed and damage skin over time. This condition is
called "tanning" and will result in a influx of melanin, which
temporarily darkens certain areas of the skin. UVA rays can
penetrate clothing and can permeate clouds, glass and windows as
well. UVB rays are the main cause of serious skin damage and
dehydration. Prolonged exposure to UVB rays will immediately
affect skin and usually result in a sun burn. UVB light
destroys cells and inhibits the growth of healthy DNA.
Both UVA
and UVB rays can be extremely dehydrating to skin. Sunlight
disturbs the skin's
turnover,
reduces moisture content in the corneal layer, and creates a dry ,
rough, dull surface.
ART Skin Care System
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