Learn About Your Skin

Skin is your largest sense receptor, responding to touch, pressure, heat and cold (see touch).

Skin makes vitamin D for your body from sunlight.

The epidermis (the thin outer layer) is just dead cells.

The epidermis is made mainly of a tough protein called keratin - the remains of skin cells that die off.

Below the epidermis is a thick layer of living cells called the dermis, which contains the sweat glands.

Even though its thickness averages just 2 mm, your skin gets an eighth of all your blood.

Hair roots have tiny muscles that pull the hair upright when you are cold, giving you goose bumps.

Skin is 6 mm thick on the soles of your feet, and just 0.5 mm thick on your eyelids.

The epidermis contains cells that make the dark pigment melanin - this gives dark-skinned people their colour and fair-skinned people a tan.