Anatomy and physiology relevant to beauty therapy
Anatomy and physiology relevant to beauty therapy
This domain tests the structure and function of skin, hair, nails, muscles, circulation, lymphatics, endocrine and nervous systems, and how that knowledge explains treatment effects and contraindications.
Core rules
- Epidermis: avascular, keratinised and renewing about every 28 days; layers include corneum, granulosum, spinosum and basale. Melanocytes in the basale produce melanin; Langerhans cells are immune.
- Dermis: collagen and elastin, fibroblasts, blood vessels, nerves, sebaceous and sweat glands, and hair follicles.
- Hair cycle: anagen (growth, 2 to 6 years), catagen (regression, about 2 to 3 weeks), telogen (rest, about 3 months). Waxing only removes anagen hair effectively.
- Nail: plate, matrix, lunula, cuticle, eponychium and hyponychium; fingernails grow about 3 mm per month and toenails about 1 mm.
- Facial muscles include frontalis, temporalis, masseter, orbicularis oculi and oris, zygomaticus and platysma; they are voluntary and attach to bone or skin.
- Lymph drains to cervical, submandibular, axillary and inguinal nodes; massage works proximally toward nodes, never directly over infected or swollen nodes.
- Endocrine hormones affect skin: androgens drive sebum, oestrogen supports collagen, cortisol thins skin, thyroxine affects moisture and hair.
- Nervous system: sensory receptors detect touch, temperature and pain; autonomic fibres control blood flow and gland secretion.
Worked example
A client has puffy skin after a long flight. You plan lymphatic drainage using light, rhythmic strokes from the face and neck toward the cervical nodes, not deep kneading over the neck. The reasoning is that lymph moves through low-pressure vessels and depends on muscle contraction and breathing; deep pressure can collapse vessels.
Traps
Saying the epidermis contains blood vessels; calling nodes glands; describing lymph as blood; confusing the nail matrix with the lunula.