Percutaneous penetration of chemicals and aging skin

Abstract

The human body undergoes changes, for better or worse, from infancy to the elderly stages of life. The change is observed from the biochemical level within cells to the morphology and function of whole organs. The skin is an organ that changes with age due to both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Intrinsic aging of the skin is primarily determined by genetics. Extrinsic aging, also termed photoaging, is principally caused by environmental exposure to ultraviolet light. In areas of the skin that are sun-exposed, these two processes of aging are superimposed upon one another [1]. In the industrialized world, humans live longer because of advancements in agriculture, medicine, and public health. Because of the increasing age of the population, it is important to know how age-related changes in organs, such as skin, impact overall health. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2010.