Thin skin is present on most of the body and similar in many respects to thick skin, but in particular the epidermis and dermis are much thinner. This skin has hair follicles, but lacks the features for detecting and protecting against pressure and friction.

Examine these two slides of thin skin (sample 1 and sample 2).

• Note the differences in thin skin with regard to the dermis and the epidermal strata.
• Identify melanocytes, which are not particularly common in the thick skin section.

Clinical note: Vitiligo is an acquired patchy loss of pigment in the skin, due to a localized autoimmune reaction to the melanocytes.

Now for skin appendages.