New Mexico Permanent Makeup (PMU) Practice Exam

The dermis is a connective tissue layer beneath the epidermis, built mainly from the extracellular matrix with three main fiber components. The three tissue components that define it are collagen fibers, elastic fibers, and reticular fibers. Collagen provides the strong, durable framework that resists stretching and tearing. Elastic fibers give the skin its ability to stretch and recoil. Reticular fibers form a supporting network that helps maintain the dermal architecture and supports surrounding structures like blood vessels and glands. Fibroblasts in the dermis produce these fibers, shaping the matrix that gives the skin its strength and flexibility. Other options mix epidermal elements or tissues not characteristic of the dermis—keratin, melanin, and sebum relate to the epidermis or its glands, while adipose tissue, muscle, or cartilage belong to other layers or structures.