Two kinds of cells can be differentiated in the basal layer of the skin. One of these types of cells is a 'slow cycling cell', assigned as a stem cell that gives way to the more rapid cells. The second type of cell is a 'quick cycling cell', which is assigned as a transit amplifying cell. This second type of cell is destined to achieve terminal specialization and leave the basal layer after a few cycles of mitosis. 'Keratinocytes' have the highest capacity contained by a single cell to proliferate independently. These create a colony in the human follicle, located in the region just below the bulge (the complete permanent section of the follicle, below the sebaceous glands).

Although it is commonly understood that stem cells proliferate infrequently in an undamaged epidermis, they are the cells that are capable of sustained proliferation, in response to a stimulus such as wounding.

Glycoconjugates: Help reach the correct balance between the synthesis and degradation of important structural elements such as collagen and elastin, working toward a cure for damaged skin.

Collagenase: Enzymes that accelerate the degradation of collagen and gelatin.

Gelatinase activity: A protease that begins the hydrolytic rupture of proteins, usually by splitting them into polypeptide sequences. These are required in early tissue repair and in extensive tissue remodeling. Various kinds of matrix metalloproteinases (collagenase and gelatinase enzymes) are specifically expressed or activated at various stages of the skin regeneration process. These variations determine the presence or absence of aberrant scars, like keloids or hypertrophic scars.

The matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) are a type of zinc-dependent enzymes, which degrade several components of the extracellular skin matrix in both healthy and diseased tissue. The skin matrix is a framework that holds the skin together and consists essentially of inter-meshed polymers such as collagen and elastin. The skin matrix is responsible for the skin's physical properties, including strength and elasticity. The weaker and less regulated the matrix, the more wrinkles, roughness, and sag one tends to have over time. Whenever skin is injured, malformed or worn out, the skin matrix is eliminated by the MMP enzymes, and then recreated by fibroblasts. Therefore, MMP enzymes have a crucial role in dermal physiology.

Finding Fast Answers to Skin Care Issues

The modern approach to skin care is keeping up a healthy balance of these enzymes.

In healthy, youthful skin, the synthesis and degradation of the matrix have achieved a certain balance; a damaged or redundant matrix is degraded, while deficit qualities are restored by the ongoing synthesis. Unluckily, this intricate balance gets disrupted during the aging process - too little of the matrix is produced and too much is degraded. MMP levels rise exaggeratedly the older one gets.

Research shows that a reversal of MMP levels to normal youthful levels in aged individuals is an effective way to eliminate the damaged matrix and keep the healthy one. For this reason, the use of MMP inhibitors in the format of chemicals drugs, cosmetic solutions, and lifestyle changes is the new cure for skin care concerns. At home, natural remedies for acne and other skin problems are effective, daily treatments that improve the skin's condition over time.