Skin Cancer Awareness Month

Welcome

Our posters have twelve key objectives:

To know the structure and role of the skin.
To understand how skin cancer arises and its different subtypes.
To understand the causes and risk factors of skin cancer.
To be aware of the signs and symptoms of skin cancer
To understand how skin cancer is detected.
To understand how each type of skin cancer is treated.
To understand how skin cancer is prevented.

Polite notice: These posters are FREE to use for educational purposes and sharing across social media.

References for the following information are from recommended books, medical websites, research journals, National Health Service, Cancer Research UK, and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

The Structure Of The Skin

What Is The Skin?

What Is The Epidermis?

A histological image of the skin layers: the keratin layer on the epidermis and dermis

What Is The Function Of The Epidermis?

What Is The Function Of The Cells Found In The Epidermis?

The image below presents the different types of cells found in the epidermis.

The structure of the extracellular matrix (ECM)

The several types of cells found in the epidermis

What Are The Different Skin Layers Of The Epidermis?

Stratum Corneum

Stratum lucidum

Stratum granulosum

Stratum spinosum

Stratum Basale

An alternative diagram presenting the structural layers of the epidermis in thin skin.

A microscopic image presenting the structural layers of the epidermis

The Dermis

A schematic diagram presenting the layers of skin where the dual dermal layers can be observed.

The Dermis: The Superficial Papillary Region

The Extracellular Matrix In The Dermis

A visual representation of the different molecules found in the dermis.

The Dermis: The Reticular Region

A microscopic image of the papillary and reticular dermis.

The Basement Membrane

A visual comparison of the structures of the young and old skin.

Hypodermis

The Function Of The Skin

The image below presents the different roles of the skin.

The difference in absorption. Intracellular Absorption enters the skin more deeply in contrast to the intercellular absorption.

The physical and chemical barrier of the skin

A microscopic examination of the sensory sections of the skin: Meissner’s corpuscle (touch and light) and Pacinian Corpuscle (pressure). The muscle spindle has a functional role in the skeletal muscle where it monitors the muscle length and strength during posture and movement (proprioception).

The functions of the different forms of Vitamin D on the body.

References

Biga, L., Quick, D., Dawson, S., Harwell, A., Hopkins, R., Kaufmann, J., LeMaster, M., Matern, P., Morrison-Graham, K., and Runyeon, J. (2019). Anatomy and Physiology. Oregon: Oregon State Open Educational Resources.

Bonham, C.A., Kuehlmann, B., and Gurtner, G.C. (2019). Impaired Neovascularization in Aging. Advances in Wound Care. doi: https://doi.org/10.1089/wound.2018.0912.

Fenner, J. and Clark, R.A.F. (2016) Anatomy, physiology, histology, and immunohistochemistry of human skin. In: Albanna, M., Holmes, J.H (eds.) Skin tissue engineering and regenerative Medicine. Boston: Academic Press, p. 1-17.

Lopez-Ojeda, W., Pandey, A., Alhajj, M., and Oakley, A. (2022) Anatomy, Skin (Integument). Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28723009/ (Accessed: 5^th February 2026)

Lotfollahi, Z. (2024). The anatomy, physiology, and function of all skin layers and the impact of ageing on the skin. Wound practice & research, 32(1), pp.6–10. doi: https://doi.org/10.33235/wpr.32.1.6-10.

MedlinePlus (2026) TCHH gene. Available at: https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/gene/tchh/ (Accessed: 5th February 2026)

Menon, G.K. (2002). New insights into skin structure: scratching the surface. Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, 54, pp. S3–S17. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/s0169-409x(02)00121-7.

Roky, A.H., Islam, M.M., Fuad, M., Mostaq, M.S., Mahmud, M.Z. Amin, M.N., and Mahmud, M.A. (2024). Overview of skin cancer types and prevalence rates across continents. Cancer Pathogenesis and Therapy, 3(2). doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpt.2024.08.002.

Southern Illinois University (2022) Skin, epidermis, and dermis. Available at: https://histology.siu.edu/intro/IN005b.htm (Accessed: 5th February 2026)

Wysocki A. (2016) Anatomy and physiology of skin and soft tissue. In: Bryant, R.A. and Nix, D.P. (eds) Acute & chronic wounds: Current management concepts. Missouri: Elsevier; p. 40−62.

Yadav, N., Parveen, S., Chakravarty, S., Banerjee, M. (2019). Skin Anatomy and Morphology. In: Dwivedi, A., Agarwal, N., Ray, L., Tripathi, A. (eds) Skin Aging & Cancer. Singapore: Springer https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2541-0_1

Updated February 2026 Next Review May 2028