Skin science

The layers of your skin, explained

Your skin is really three working layers stacked together. Understanding them makes everything else — ageing, pigment, firmness, why treatments work where they do — much easier to follow.

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At a glance

The three layers

Everything a treatment does happens in one of these layers — which is why "where" a treatment works matters as much as "what" it does.

Epidermis — the protective surface (tone, texture, barrier). Dermis — where collagen, elastin, vessels and glands live (firmness & renewal). Hypodermis — the deep fat layer that cushions and supports.

The epidermis — your surface and shield

The epidermis is the thin outer layer you can see and touch. Its main job is protection: it's your barrier against water loss, sun and the outside world, and it's where surface tone, texture and that ‘glow’ (or dullness) show up.

It's constantly renewing — new cells push up from below and shed at the surface. When that renewal slows or dead cells build up, skin looks flat and rough. It's also where melanin (pigment) is made, by cells called melanocytes.

The dermis — the engine room

Beneath it sits the dermis, a much thicker layer and the ‘engine room’ of the skin. This is where collagen and elastin live — the proteins that give skin its firmness and bounce — along with blood vessels, nerves, oil and sweat glands, and hydrating molecules like hyaluronic acid.

Because firmness, resilience and deep renewal all happen here, most treatments that aim to firm or smooth the skin are designed to reach and stimulate the dermis rather than just the surface.

The hypodermis — the deep support

The deepest layer is the hypodermis (or subcutaneous layer) — mostly fat. It cushions, insulates and gives the face and body their contours. As its volume shifts and settles with age, the overlying skin can look softer or less supported.

So when you read that a treatment works ‘at the surface’ or ‘in the deeper skin’, this is the map it's referring to — and it's why matching the right approach to the right layer matters.

This page is general education, not medical advice. Your skin is always assessed individually in a consultation with our qualified team.

Good to know

Common questions

How many layers does skin have?

Three main layers: the epidermis (surface), the dermis (the deeper, working layer with collagen and elastin) and the hypodermis (the deep fat layer). Each has a distinct job.

Which layer do skin treatments work on?

It depends on the goal. Surface concerns like tone and texture are addressed in the epidermis; firmness and renewal are worked in the dermis. Matching the treatment to the right layer is what makes it effective.

Why does the surface layer matter for glow?

Because the epidermis is what light first hits. A smooth, well-hydrated, evenly-renewed surface reflects light evenly — which is what we read as radiance.

Where this shows up