2006-09-27 04:02:45 · 3 answers · asked by art 3 in Beauty & Style ➔ Skin & Body
The skin is composed of 3 layers: the epidermis, dermis, & the subcutaneous layer.
Epidermis - outer layer of the skin; provides waterproofing and barrier to infection.
Dermis - middle layer of the skin; located between the epidermis and subcutaneous layer; location for the appendages of the skin.
Subcutaneous Layer - basement membrane; consisting mainly of fat that acts as shock absorber and heat insulator.
If you are pertaining only to the epidermis' thickness, then it is approximately 0.5 to 1 mm.
But if you mean to include the other 2 layers, then, it varies based on the anatomic location, sex and age of individual. Skin is thickest on the palms and soles of the feet. While the thinnest skin is found on the eyelids and in the postauricular region. Male skin is characteristically thicker than female skin. Children have relatively thin skin that progressively thickens until the 4th or 5th decade of life when it begins to thin.
2006-09-27 04:26:20 · answer #1 · answered by Mye 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Its only a few millimeters thick
it also depens on the LOCATION of the skin... for example, the skin under your heel is very thick...while the skin on your fingertips is much thinner
2006-09-27 04:09:25 · answer #2 · answered by Jazz 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"For the average adult human, the skin has a surface area of between 1.5-2.0 square meters, most of it is between 2-3 mm thick."
2006-09-27 04:13:09 · answer #3 · answered by stumpy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋