ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we focus on skin and its barrier as well as its sink functions to arti cial nanoparticulate compounds. Since it is an overview on general nanoparticles-skin interactions, no speci c physiological responses to particular particle composition are considered, but only e ects arising from the particle size, shape, and physical/physicochemical properties. Furthermore, only healthy skin is treated herein. Injured and in amed skin can be entered even by particles larger than the nanometer scale due to the loss of its barrier function (Oberdörster et al. 2005). is is also the case for chemically induced irritations of the skin, e.g., by nonpolar solvents and strong alkalines.
