What “thicker skin” means
The visible surface of skin is only its outermost layer. Beneath it lies the dermis, a living support layer containing collagen and elastin fibers, blood vessels, nerves, and glands. The reported sex difference refers to this deeper layer—not to a surface that is uniformly thicker everywhere.
Collagen gives the dermis much of its tensile strength, while elastin helps it spring back after stretching. A thicker dermis generally means more tissue beneath the surface, but it does not by itself tell you how tough, hydrated, or resilient an individual person’s skin is.
How hormones shape the difference
Testosterone is linked to the thicker dermis in men. Hormones can influence how skin cells and connective tissue develop and are maintained, including the production and organization of collagen. The difference is a population-level pattern, not a rule that applies to every person: age, genetics, body site, and other biological factors also affect skin structure.
That distinction matters in everyday life. A measurement of dermal thickness is not the same as a measure of visible skin thickness, and it does not mean men are immune to skin damage or aging. Sun exposure, for example, can damage collagen and elastin in the dermis regardless of sex. The deeper layer may differ on average, but its condition still depends on what happens to it over time.
