Recent work has substantially elucidated the mechanisms of skin aging and photoaging. In
particular, a central role for telomere-based signaling can be inferred. Intrinsic aging is
largely controlled by progressive telomere shortening, compounded by low grade oxidative
damage to telomeres and other cellular constituents, the consequence of aerobic cellular
metabolism. In sun exposed skin, UV irradiation also damages DNA and accelerates
telomere shortening. Aging and photodamage appear to share a common final pathway that …