Skin as a laminate.
Skin is a biodynamic laminate and like all laminates effective
cohesion and soundness of the individual layers provide the
most efficient structural integrity and aesthetic appearance.
A real mouthful. In simple terms however, it means that when
the individual layers and parts of skin are well bound together,
are healthy and exist in harmony, it produces an elastic,
resilient, highly functional and beautiful skin.
Laminates are widely used in a variety of construction and
manufacturing disciplines. The beauty of a laminate is that
one may use different materials, each not strong at all on their
own, yet by layering them with the correct adhesives, the
combined layers become unbelievably strong and resilient.
Many laminates like wood, glass or metal laminates attain
besides the strength, a surprising beauty of their own.
For any laminate to be functional and effective, the individual
component materials of the layers need to be in the best
condition and the bonding or glue holding the layers together
must be at its best. No laminate ever benefits from the
destruction, or even partial destruction of any of its layers.
This rule holds for a living, biological laminate like the skin, as
the architecture of normal skin serves as the template for
continuous repair and maintenance.
Thinking of the skin in terms of a laminate is a practical
approach, because it makes us aware of all of the important
elements required for skin health into consideration, in stead
of a random or compartmentalized approach. This shift in
thinking provides us with definitive principles in planning
therapy which will optimise the homeostasis of youthful skin.
Healthy, functional and beautiful skin is just as dependent on
the bonding of healthy, functional cells and tissues as it is on
the quality of these building blocks of skin.
A beautiful yacht for instance, is equally dependent on a
sound, hydrodynamic, watertight and smooth laminated hull
to sail properly without leaking.
Biological laminates like the skin have unique, active
communicating systems amongst the cells. These intricate and
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well balanced programs of signals ensure harmonious cellular
cooperation in function and integration of structure.
The language of cells is the therapist's key to skin rejuvenation
and preservation by maintenance of the intact laminate.
There is a continuous ebb and flow of cell information regulating structural fibers and the all important bonding
elements over the lifetime of an individual. It is a "living book"
written in sequential base pairs, stacked in the spirals of DNA,
literally buzzing in each cell nucleus.
The task of the therapist is to read the signs on the skin
surface, deciphering any miscommunication through lack of
essential cellular words or the cell-silences induced by the
battering of intense sunlight, free radical attack, poor nutrition,
lack of hormones and the relentless passage of time. Such
abuse which breaks up the skin laminate, slowly crumples up
the beautiful planes of the skin surface. When the missing
phrases of cellular communication are correctly evaluated,
repair can begin by replenishing the lacking signals and
instructions required to make cells specialise, to make them
manufacture the delicate new epidermal cells, the resilient
collagen-elastin and the intimate bonds of the entire laminate.
The therapist's skin lamination tools rest firmly on a solid
base of intelligent cellular words and phrases based primarily
on vitamin A and friends. Like any language, random words
and phrases are largely meaningless and unlikely to produce
an action or effect. Well structured and ordered passages like
a well written script or novel on the other hand, can move
mountains.
In skin therapy such structured order is essential. The signals
and combinations of signals provided by AVST ( Environ's®
Advanced Vitamin Skin Therapy) need to be well orchestrated,
logical and delivered efficiently into the skin to optimise the
cell behavior and function. In skin as a biological laminate,
this treatment approach is essential to maintain structural
integrity, functionality, health and ultimately the aesthetic
appearance.
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