The dermis is thicker than the epidermis and is made up of mostly collagen. Collagen is one of the strongest natural proteins. It is held together with fibres of another protein called elastin. Surrounding the two proteins collagen and elastin is hyaluronic acid.

Sweat glands hold moisture and deliver moisture to the surface of the skin. Sweat glands also regulate our body temperature by releasing sweat when we get hot, and by shrinking when we get cold.

The epidermis is the outer layer of your skin. It covers almost all of your body. It has no blood vessels, and is fed by the upper layer of the dermis. Try to imagine how flexible and strong the skin needs to be to hold in moisture and to keep out the harsh elements that you are exposed to daily.

The dermis is also home to hair follicles, sweat glands, blood vessels and the outer layer of our nerves. The blood vessels are responsible for the supply of oxygen to the epidermis layer and they also take waste products (toxins) away to be processed and expelled from the body.

Follicles are tubular shaped. Some of them contain hair, and some are empty. They deliver moisture from the sweat glands. They also allow sebum from sebaceous glands to travel to the surface of the skin. On the skin’s surface the follicle opening is seen and known as a pore.
subcutaneous layer or hypodermis

The subcutaneous layer is made up of blood vessels, nerves and adipose cells. The adipose cells are what are known as fat-filled cells. These fat-filled cells exist to protect the bones and to keep us warm. They also store fat as an energy reserve.