On the biomechanics and mechanobiology of growing skin

► Skin is a mechanoresponsive layer with interacting pathways of mechanotransduction. ► When overstretched, it increases its surface area to restore its homeostatic state. ► We establish a novel continuum model for strain-driven skin growth. ► We represent mechanotransduction phenomenologically through an internal variable. ► The model accurately predicts the acute and chronic features of growing skin.