Unwanted changes in the appearance of our skin are an unavoidable part of aging. It is generally accepted that these changes are due to the effects of both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. 1 Intrinsic factors include age-related decreases in keratinocytes and fibroblasts with corresponding decreases in collagen and proteoglycan production, and increased expression of matrix metalloproteinases, which increases the production of damaging reactive oxygen species. 2 Extrinsic factors include ultraviolet radiation, smoking, and other environmental insults. These can also result in free-radical formation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and DNA damage affecting biological processes such protein synthesis. 3,4 Together, these factors cause pigmentary changes as well as structural changes to the
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.