Credit: Journal of Investigative Dermatology
(a) The spatial scale represents how skin composition and characteristics vary across anatomical regions. (b) The temporal scale represents changes to skin across the human lifespan. (c) The gender scale represents gender-specific differences between skin sites and function. (d) The ancestral origin scale, which affects skin characteristics and proclivity to disease. (e) The wound response scale, where unwounded skin is distinct from the skin that is permanently altered after the innate, acute wound repair program. For each scale, we include notable examples that illustrate why these factors need to be considered when generating a high-quality single-cell skin atlas.