From Angela Palmer,
Your Guide to Acne.
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About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by Casey Gallagher, MD

Definition:

Desquamation is the natural process in which skin cells are sloughed away and replaced.

New skin cells are created in the stratum germinativum, the deepest layer of the epidermis. From this layer, the cells begin their migration to the skin's surface. Once the cells reach the uppermost layer of the skin -- the stratum corneum -- they are essentially dead. These tightly packed cells of the stratum corneum continuously fall as newer cells push their way to the surface.

The entire process, from cell birth to sloughing away, takes approximately 28 days.

Pronunciation: des-kwa-MA-shun