Percutaneous absorption in the aged.

The work described in this article reveals a remarkable lack of consensus as to whether percutaneous absorption changes as humans grow older. The data that have been recorded point to possible significant alterations in the barrier function with age. The importance of these observations with respect to dermatopharmacology and dermatotoxicology is clear. The absence of a clearly defined relationship between aging, percutaneous penetration, and the properties of the molecules crossing the skin barrier represents an unacceptable gap in fundamental dermatologic knowledge. With the changing demographic pattern of Western civilization and the increasing awareness of human subjects for the condition of their skin, and the potential for drug delivery via their skin, it is crucial that we begin to establish precisely how the barrier function alters with increasing age. The answer to this question may permit unique improvements in the quality of both local and systemic health in aging populations.