Novel approaches for managing aged skin and nonmelanoma skin cancer

The process of aging influences every bodily organ and tissue, and those with rapid epithelial cell turnover, are particularly affected. The most visible of these, however, is the skin (including the epidermis), the largest human organ that provides a barrier to external insults, structure to the body and its movements, facilitates thermoregulation, harbors immune cells, and incorporates sensory neurons (including mechanoreceptors, nociceptors, and thermoreceptors). Skin aging has traditionally been categorized into intrinsic and extrinsic, with the latter nearly exclusively restricted to “photoaging,” (i.e., aging due to exposure to solar or artificial ultraviolet radiation). However, both intrinsic and extrinsic aging share similar causes, including oxidative damage, telomere shortening, and mitochondrial senescence. Also, like other malignancies, the risk of malignant and nonmalignant lesions increases with age. Herein, we review the most recent findings in skin aging and nonmelanoma skin cancer, including addition to traditional and developing therapies.