The Fab Four
As a dermatologist, I am confronted every day with issues that are visible on the surface, but whose solution often requires a look beneath the surface, to where the individual skin cells communicate with each other.
Meine Motivation: Wenn in der Tiefe der Haut das zelluläre Gleichgewicht stimmt, stimmt es auch an der Oberfläche – das virtuelle Gesicht meiner Marke ist also das »glückliche Leben« einer jeden Hautzelle in einem harmonischen Umfeld, in dem alle Hautzellen fein aufeinander abgestimmt und koordiniert ihren Aufgaben nach gehen können. Neben den Merkelzellen, speziellen Sinneszellen in der Oberhaut, die für Druck- und Tastempfindungen verantwortlich sind, gibt es 4 wichtige Zellarten in der Haut, die ich hier kurz und vereinfacht darstellen möchte.
»The virtual face of my brand is the prosperity of each skin cell.«
Prof. Dr. Steinkraus
Cell 1/4 The Producer
In the engine room of the skin, the dermis, a relatively unexplored cell, the fibroblast, calls the shots. It produces collagen, hyaluronic acid and many other substances. The activity of the fibroblast determines the tension, expression and evenness of the skin.
Cell 2/4 The Colourist
Our skin colour is determined by the presence and activity of pigment cells (melanocytes). All people, regardless of skin colour, have approximately the same number and distribution of melanocytes. Differences in skin colour represent differences in the density and size of the pigment granules. Melanocytes produce the brown pigment of our skin, melanin, which is distributed to the cells in the environment so that they can protect the sensitive DNA from the harmful effects of UV light (sun).
Cell 3/4 The Immunologist
One of the most important cells for our health is the Langerhans cell, which was discovered as early as 1867 by a medical student (Paul Langerhans). It lies in an extensive network directly under the surface of the skin and uses its tentacles (dendrites) to catch foreign bodies that enter the skin. It eats these and travels with them to the nearest lymph node to present them to the immune system. Its incredible achievement is to encode the foreign bodies in such a way that our immune system understands that they are foreign bodies. Only when the immune system has understood this can a targeted and effective fight against the invaders begin. We must be grateful to our skin that it has such a network of intelligent protective cells.
Cell 4/4 The Bodyguard
The covering cells (keratinocytes) of the epidermis are the most important building blocks of our body shell. They lie next to each other in a closed bandage that is completely renewed once every 4 weeks. We could give every person in this world a covering cell of ours and still have some, i.e. we have many billions of these cells. Every day we lose many millions of them without even noticing it. Good skin care helps the covering cells to do their most important job, which is to maintain a protective barrier and thus prevent valuable substances from being lost or harmful substances from penetrating our skin.
Cell biology is fascinating and the beauty of the cells shown here is captivating. Their harmonious interaction is the linchpin of healthy skin and thus also the core of vitality, radiance and beauty.