New skin cell growth is really only part of making a new foreskin. I addressed this topic several weeks ago at another restoration site, so I will repost the information here:
I have noticed several questions regarding skin, so I'll try to address the most common ones. BTW, I am a graduate student in Physiology, so I'm not (entirely) talking out of my ass here .
Stretching: the resistance to tugging is caused predominantly by the dermal layer of the skin, which contains stretchy protein fibers called elastin and non-stretchy protein fibers called collagen (simple model). The elastin causes the skin to recoil after stretching, while the collagen matrix keeps the skin from being stretched beyond a certain point. Rawhide chewies are an example of dermis that has been dried out , while leather is dermis that has been through a tanning process to soften it. These examples give you an idea of what this layer of tissue is like… very tough.
As we are tugging, the strain is placed predominantly on the collagen fibers in the dermis. The overlaying epidermis (skin cells) transmits this strain to the dermis, but has a much lesser role in resisting lateral stretch (that which we seek) than the collagen fibers. While there are cells called fibroblasts that live in the dermis, the bulk of this tissue is not alive, which makes the remodeling process of this tissue an enzyme-driven, protein-building issue versus (strictly) skin cell mitosis (cell division). Thus, what we are stretching is something akin to tendons, while the overlying skin cells undergo mitosis as needed.
This is important for several reasons: 1) collagen remodeling occurs predominantly after the strain is released or reduced, as a response to the strain; 2) Excessive/prolonged strain will cause the matrix to thicken as well as lengthen (as is seen in tendons of more active people), which will then increasingly resist further elongation. Elastin will also increase, causing the skin to recoil more readily; 3) Matrix remodeling is a relatively slow process due the non-cellular nature of the tissue; it is not alive, like a cell is, and so cannot itself respond to the strain, but relies on fibroblasts for collagen fibers and enzymes for actual remodeling and elongation.
The take home message here is that creating a fauxskin takes time and gentle encouragement.
Cheers, gents!
G
Exerpted from an original post dated 3-23-05, posted at foreskinrestorationchat.info