Ace the New Mexico Permanent Makeup Exam 2026 – Shape Your Glamorous Future!

The skin has three main layers that define its structure and function: the outer protective layer, the middle supportive layer, and the deepest cushioning layer.

The outermost layer, the epidermis, acts as a barrier against environmental exposure and water loss. It is made of keratinized epithelial cells that continually renew themselves, with the outermost sublayer—the stratum corneum—sloughing off as new cells form. Because this layer turnover is ongoing, pigment placed here would not stay long.

Beneath it is the dermis, the thick, supportive middle layer. It contains collagen and elastin for strength and elasticity and houses blood vessels, nerves, hair follicles, and glands. In PMU practice, this is the layer most associated with pigment retention, as injections here are designed to be stable over time.

The deepest part is the hypodermis, also called subcutaneous tissue. It consists mainly of fat and connective tissue that cushions and insulates and anchors the skin to underlying structures. It’s not the usual target for pigment deposition in PMU and lies beneath the dermis.

Therefore, the three main skin strata are the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis.