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How do mammals shed dead cells from the stratum corneum?

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A pangolin walks through grass with a blue circle around it and the word endangered written in white across the image. — Integument The pangolin is the only mammal in the world covered in scales.

In mammals, the stratum corneum is the outermost layer of the epidermis, composed of dead, keratin-filled cells known as corneocytes. These cells are held together by structures called desmosomes, which provide structural integrity to the skin barrier.12

The process of shedding these dead cells is known as desquamation. Mammals shed these cells in small pieces rather than in large, continuous layers. This occurs because the desmosomes connecting the corneocytes are enzymatically broken down, allowing the cells to be sloughed off from the skin surface. This process is continuous, with one layer of corneocytes typically being shed every day in humans. While these cells often come off on their own, they can also be removed through friction, movement, or external mechanical actions like washing or scrubbing.342