What is the hypodermis and the most common skin colors


Beneath it all: the hypodermis

Way down at the bottom of your skin is your hypodermis, sometimes called the subcutaneous layer or the fat layer. It's made mostly of fat, so it helps your body stay warm and it absorbs some of the shock if you bang into something or fall down. The hypodermis also helps to keep your skin attached to the tissues underneath it.

Skin types and true colors

There are different skin types and color variations: no two are the same. Which one is yours?

Oily skin: If your skin feels greasy, is often shiny, prone to spots, blemishes and breakouts, and has easily visible pores, you probably have this type of skin.

Dry skin: If your face feels tight and stretched (especially after washing), if it never has areas that feel greasy, if it has flaky patches, or if your skin is very fair, you probably have this skin type.

Combination skin: If your face has some oily areas (like the T-zone across your forehead and down your nose and chin) but the other areas (like your cheeks) are normal to dry, you've probably got combination skin.

Normal skin: If your skin doesn't feel greasy, dry or have obvious pores, then you probably have this skin type. Normal skin might sound rather dull, but anybody with one of the other types can tell you it's something to be thankful for.

Sensitive skin: Truly sensitive skin is fairly uncommon. People with this skin type are often allergy prone and have sensitivities or allergic reactions to lots of different things. They also have particularly fair, thin skin and usually have blonde or red hair.

Why do some people have light skin while others have olive skin or dark brown skin or any of the shades in between? It's all due to a pigment called melanin, produced in your epidermis by special cells called melanocytes. Everyone has roughly the same number of these melanin-producing cells, but a fair-skinned person's melanocytes make much less of the stuff than those of a person with darker skin. Melanin does more than give you your unique skin color, it also helps protect you from getting burnt by the sun's rays. Even though melanin is mighty, it can't shield you all by itself, especially if you've got pale skin. You'll need additional protection, particularly from the harsh Australian sun.

Freckles are small flat brown, black or even orange spots of melanin found in people with fair skin. Freckles appear on areas of the skin that have been exposed to the sun, that's why they're sometimes called sun kisses'. Fair skin equals frequent freckling and that's just the way it is. But, hey, freckles can be cute - look at Lucy Liu. Embrace your fabulous freckle face! Freckles, however, are signs of sun damage. So make sure you protect your skin from too much sun: wear a hat, use a good sunscreen (if possible go for a non-chemical or physical' sunblock like Megan Gale's Invisible Zinc or Avene Sunscreen SPF 30+). You only need to worry about a freckle if it gets bumpy or turns into a weird, irregular shape. If that happens, don't freak out, have your doctor check it out, just to be on the safe side.

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Note: This article was sent to us by: Milla Adren at 07052010

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