How does skin regenerate ?

Our skin is our largest and heaviest organ.

With a surface area of 2 m2 and a weight ranging from 4 to 10kg, it is our first barrier against viruses, bacteria, and infections. The skin also plays an essential role as a heat regulator, protecting us from the sun's harmful rays, dehydration, and shocks.

Its superpowers come from its ability to constantly renew itself.

The skin: a precious and complex organ

Our skin is made up of three layers.

The epidermis:

Made up of 4 to 5 sub-layers, the epidermis has 4 types of cells that are constantly renewed.

- Keratinocytes synthesize keratin, a protein that protects the skin and ensures its waterproofing.

- Melanocytes produce melanin, which not only pigments the skin but also protects it from UV rays.

- Langerhans cells protect us from external aggression and allergic reactions.

- Finally, Merkel cells are sensors that enable us to be sensitive to touch.

The dermis:

This is where you'll find nerve endings, blood and lymph vessels, as well as the sebaceous glands that produce sebum and the sweat glands that produce sweat. This is where our hair takes root.

This is also the home of phagocytes, the cells that help us fight infection.

Mainly composed of elastin, collagen and connective tissue, the dermis is supple and elastic.

The hypodermis: 

This deeper layer is made up of fat cells, connective tissue, nerves, and blood vessels. The hypodermis is a heat insulator that cushions shocks and serves as an energy reserve thanks to the fats it stores.

How does the skin regenerate?

The skin is complex and serves various purposes. Like all organs in the human body, it is constantly renewed to maintain optimal performance. Skin cells regenerate in a cycle in which each step plays an essential role. 

Keratinocytes form in the first stratum of the epidermis, the basal layer. They then move up into the spiny layer. This is where they produce keratin, which is synthesized in the granular layer.

As they rise towards the surface, keratin proteins flatten out and become translucent, giving the skin its structure. After around twenty days, they complete their maturation by reaching the final layer of the epidermis: the stratum corneum.

They amalgamate to form a protective, waterproof and resistant barrier. Finally, the dead cells eventually peel off before being evacuated by sebum, by sweat or friction. 

What is the difference between cell renewal and wound healing?

Tissue regeneration is a spontaneous process in healthy adult skin. But when the skin is damaged, and the epidermis, dermis and even hypodermis are affected, a different process begins: healing. Healing is a physiological process of skin repair. It allows it to regain its integrity, and therefore to fulfill its protective functions once again.

It is divided into three main steps:

- During exudation, blood vessels become permeable, enabling white blood cells to fight infection. Dermal cells, meanwhile, divide actively, initiating reconstruction.

- After just a few days, the cells proliferate. Fibroblasts generate the complex sugars needed to produce a water-rich gel. It will be colonised and consolidated by collagen fibres. 

- After a week, the collagen fibers have taken up their final position, allowing the wound to close. Once the scar is sufficiently firm, a new layer of epidermis can be formed.

Unfortunately, even if the skin's self-repair capacities are spectacular, they have their limitations. Indeed, while regeneration refers to the natural reconstruction of identical skin, healing results in marked, sometimes more sensitive and fragile skin.

But could it be possible to help the skin regenerate rather than heal following shock, injury, or trauma?

How to boost skin cell regeneration?

Skin cell renewal is a natural, spontaneous phenomenon. However, as we have seen, when tissues are altered, a healing process begins. Longer healing time can cause discomfort and have an impact on recovery.

Therefore, the ideal solution would be to promote regeneration rather than healing, by acting on the extracellular matrix (ECM). The extracellular matrix is key to the skin's reconstruction cycle, in particular thanks to the presence of heparan sulfates. These molecules store, protect and position communication peptides, which send out the signals needed for regeneration. Unfortunately, heparan sulfates are degraded by skin aggression.

Regenerating Agents, RGTA® enable the ECM to rebuild its molecular scaffolding and protect communication peptides again. In so doing, they promote exchanges between the proteins, which is essential for cell renewal.

A patented biotechnological innovation that improves regeneration, meaning a skin that repairs faster and better.

Athletes' skin: why regeneration is essential for recovery?

Our skin is often put to the test when we play sport: burns, irritations, microtrauma.

Skin care is essential to replace, regenerate and repair ailing cells.

Optimising your natural abilities allows you to stay fit and focus on your performance.