Abstract

All health care professionals should have basic information about the structure and function of human skin inorder to be able to determine any type of change in normal skin, diagnose present skin problems and prescribe possible treatment for risk factors. Skin is also called the cutaneous membrane or the integumentry system as it has several accessory organs. In adults the skin has a surface area ranging from 1.2 to 2.2 m² and weighs about 5 kg. The skin is about 7% of the total body weight with a thickness of 0.02″ to 0.16″ range in the average adult. This review of literature covers all the aspects of human skin. Moreover, mechanisms of skin aging are discussed as well as the role of various natural and synthetic antioxidants in protecting skin are covered in this review with sagacity of understanding.

Key words: Skin, antioxidants, aging, vitamins.