Aging skin is the inevitable result of both natural biological processes and extrinsic factors such as UV radiation, diet, smoking and environmental stressors, such as UV exposure, diet, smoking and environmental exposures. Since human skin acts as a protective barrier and frontline against environmental pollutants such as solar UV radiation, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), nitrogen oxides particulate matter (PM), ozone pollution and cigarette smoke; it’s particularly vulnerable to damage from air pollutants that contribute to premature aging skin aging.
Air pollution damages skin through multiple mechanisms: by damaging its barrier lipids and increasing oxidative stress. This leads to an inflammatory response activating cellular senescence pathways and an acceleration in skin aging processes.
As we age, collagen and elastin production decrease, sebum production slows, leading to dryness and less plump skin that rebound from external stresses more easily resulting in wrinkles forming.
Recent research, utilizing the SCINEXA score of intrinsic and extrinsic skin aging as well as direct measurements of indoor PM2.5 exposure in 30 households located in Taizhou, China revealed that higher exposure to PM2.5 was linked with increased prevalence of pigment spots and coarse facial wrinkles; no association was seen for smile lines or crow’s feet. One of the strengths of this study is its use of validated score of intrinsic and extrinsic aging along with direct measurements of indoor PM2.5; however it should be noted that data modeling in second examination population may produce slight individual variance in estimates of exposure estimates estimates.