What is the term for the process of dead cells shedding off the skin?

The term for the process of dead cells shedding off the skin is desquamation. This process is a natural part of the skin's life cycle and involves the sloughing off of the outermost layer of dead skin cells, mainly from the stratum corneum, which is the top layer of the epidermis. Desquamation helps maintain the skin's health by allowing new skin cells to emerge and ensuring that the outer layer does not become too thick or clogged, which can lead to issues like blockage or skin problems.

Exfoliation is often confused with desquamation; while it refers to the process of removing dead skin cells, it typically involves external methods such as scrubs or chemical peels, rather than the natural physiological process. Keratinization is the process by which skin cells become filled with keratin as they mature and move toward the skin's surface, but it does not specifically refer to shedding of dead cells. Mitosis, on the other hand, is the process of cell division and is integral to the formation of new cells, but it's not related to the shedding of dead cells.