Aging of human skin: review of a mechanistic model and first experimental data.

The physical, chemical, and biochemical factors that accelerate skin aging have been proposed to activate a self-maintained microinflammatory process, one of the expected end results of which is an imbalance in the turnover of macromolecules in the dermis. Surface peroxides are recognized as controllable factors of skin aging, and their accumulation is attributed to environmentally induced impairment of defense enzymes. Topical application of antioxidants decreases the rate at which skin elasticity and skin thickness are modified.