Skin aging 2003: recent advances and current concepts.

In developed countries, interest in cutaneous aging is in large part the result of a progressive, dramatic rise over the past century in the absolute number and proportion of the population who are elderly. The psychosocial, as well as physiologic, effects of skin aging on older persons have created a demand for a better understanding of the aging process and particularly for effective interventions. Skin aging is a complex process determined by the genetic endowment of the individual and by environmental factors. The appearance of old skin and the clinical consequences of skin aging have been well-known for centuries, but it is only in the past 50 years that mechanisms and mediators have been pursued systematically. Still, within a relatively short time, there has been tremendous progress, a progress greatly enhanced by basic gerontologic research using immunologic, biochemical, and in particular, molecular biologic approaches.