Environmental Air Pollutants Affecting Skin Functions With Systemic Implications

The document discusses how global air pollution poses a significant risk to human skin health by exposing billions to harmful pollutants that damage skin physiology. These pollutants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, can be activated by UV radiation, worsening their effects. Air pollution also impairs vitamin D synthesis by reducing UVB radiation. Various pollutants, such as ambient air pollutants, photopollution, blue-light pollution, and cigarette smoke, compromise skin integrity, interact with skin microbiota, and can trigger or worsen skin diseases through oxidative stress and inflammatory responses. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is highlighted as a key sensor for pollutants, playing a crucial role in skin responses. Targeting the AhR/Nrf2 pathway is suggested as a potential treatment for pollution-induced inflammatory skin diseases, with AhR acting as a regulatory system influenced by the nature of pollutants and the skin's context.