Prognosis
Generally speaking, people diagnosed with photic retinopathy recover visual acuity completely within two months, though more severe cases may take longer, or not see complete recovery at all. See also
Retinopathy

References
7. ^ Stokkermans TJ, Dunbar MT. "Solar retinopathy in a hospital-based primary care clinic." J Am Optom Assoc. 1998 Oct;69(10):625-36. PMID 9805443
They eventually reach the corneum and slough off (desquamation). This process is called "keratinization". This keratinized layer of skin is responsible for keeping water in the body and keeping other harmful chemicals and pathogens out, making skin a natural barrier to infection. The epidermis contains no blood vessels and is nourished by diffusion from the dermis. The main type of cells that make up the epidermis are keratinocytes, melanocytes, Langerhans cells, and Merkel cells. The epidermis helps the skin regulate body temperature. Layers
The skin has up to seven layers of ectodermal tissue and guards the underlying muscles, bones, ligaments and internal organs. The epidermis is divided into several layers, where cells are formed through mitosis at the innermost layers. They move up the strata changing shape and composition as they differentiate and become filled with keratin. After reaching the top layer stratum corneum they are eventually sloughed off, or desquamated. This process is called keratinization and takes place within weeks. It was previously believed that the stratum corneum was "a simple, biologically inactive, outer epidermal layer comprising a fibrillar lattice of dead keratin". It is now understood that this is not true, and that the stratum corneum should be considered to be a live tissue. While it is true that the stratum corneum is mainly composed of terminally differentiated keratinocytes called corneocytes that are anucleated, these cells remain alive and metabolically functional until desquamated.