You can’t actually see most of your body – it’s hidden behind skin. Skin protects everything inside you.
But, it also helps you to feel things, through your nervous system, which controls your senses. You have two main layers of skin.
The outer layer is called the epidermis, and is covered in dead cells. The layer below is where your new cells are and is called the dermis.
Another coating of protein called keratin covers the epidermis This is partly because your skin is so important.
It is strong, but it can damage very easily. When you cut yourself (ouch !) the damaged skin will repair itself. This can take a few days, if it’s a small cut. But, more serious cuts can take a lot longer to get better.
Did you know?
The color of your skin depends on how much melanin (dark coloring) you have in your skin. Pale-skinned people have less melanin in their skin than dark-skinned people. Melanin helps to protect our skin from sunburn.
