The continual turnover of billions of cells in our bodies occurs as professional and non-
professional phagocytes engulf cells dying via apoptosis. As the largest organ in our body, the skin acts as our first line of defense to protect internal tissues from extreme temperature, water loss, ultraviolet radiation, microbial and chemical insults, and injury. Tissue repair after skin injury involves the clearance of apoptotic cells by phagocytes at the wound site as part of the process of resolving the inflammation and restoring the barrier. The importance of hastening barrier restoration is highlighted in chronic non-healing wounds, such as those associated with diabetes and in excess healing reactions after wounding leading to pathological scar tissue formation or fibrosis. Using novel approaches, we will systematically address for the first time the importance of cell clearance during primary skin injury repair and at subsequent challenges.