Shin Dong Wook
College of Biomedical and Health Science, Konkuk University, Chungju, Republic of Korea.
Anim Cells Syst (Seoul). 2020 Aug 20;24(4):181-188. doi: 10.1080/19768354.2020.1808528.
The skin protects our body from various external factors, such as chemical and physical stimuli, microorganisms, and sunlight. Sunlight is a representative environmental factor that considerably influences the physiological activity of our bodies. The molecular mechanisms and detrimental effects of ultraviolet rays (UVR) on skin have been thoroughly investigated. Chronic exposure to UVR generally causes skin damage and eventually induces wrinkle formation and reduced elasticity of the skin. Several studies have shown that infrared rays (IR) also lead to the breakdown of collagen fibers in the skin. However, several reports have demonstrated that the appropriate use of UVR or IR can have beneficial effects on skin-related diseases. Additionally, it has been revealed that visible light of different wavelengths has various biological effects on the skin. Interestingly, several recent studies have reported that photoreceptors are also expressed in the skin, similar to those in the eyes. Based on these data, I discuss the various physiological effects of sunlight on the skin and provide insights on the use of phototherapy, which uses a specific wavelength of sunlight as a non-invasive method, to improve skin-related disorders.
皮肤保护我们的身体免受各种外部因素的影响，如化学和物理刺激、微生物以及阳光。阳光是一种对我们身体的生理活动有重大影响的典型环境因素。紫外线（UVR）对皮肤的分子机制和有害影响已得到深入研究。长期暴露于紫外线通常会导致皮肤损伤，并最终引发皱纹形成和皮肤弹性降低。多项研究表明，红外线（IR）也会导致皮肤中胶原纤维的分解。然而，一些报告显示，适当使用紫外线或红外线对皮肤相关疾病可能具有有益效果。此外，已发现不同波长的可见光对皮肤有各种生物学效应。有趣的是，最近的几项研究报告称，皮肤中也表达有光感受器，类似于眼睛中的光感受器。基于这些数据，我将探讨阳光对皮肤的各种生理效应，并就使用光疗法提供见解，光疗法利用特定波长的阳光作为一种非侵入性方法来改善皮肤相关疾病。
