What result can occur when the skin is damaged to the extent that both the epidermis and dermis are disturbed?

When both the epidermis and dermis layers of the skin are damaged, the result is often a permanent scar. This is due to the fact that the dermis contains the collagen and elastin fibers necessary for skin strength and elasticity. When the dermis is disturbed, the body attempts to heal the area by forming new tissue, which may not have the same structure as the original skin. This leads to scarring, as the newly formed tissue often lacks the normal patterns and ridges of the skin.

Additionally, the healing process involves a complex interplay of inflammation, tissue regeneration, and remodeling, which can result in changes to the skin's appearance. As a result, scars formed from damage extending into the dermis are typically permanent and different from the surrounding undamaged skin.

In contrast, when only the epidermis is affected, the skin has a higher likelihood of healing without scarring, and the ridges or patterns may remain unchanged if the deeper layers are intact. Thus, the notion that there would be no lasting effect or that only the epidermis would scar is inaccurate when both layers are involved. Similarly, the idea that the ridges remain unchanged does not hold, as damage to the dermis can alter the surface topography.