Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2026 Jan;44(1):125-136.
doi: 10.1016/j.det.2025.08.001. Epub 2025 Oct 14.

Microplastics, Skin Disease, and Dermatology: Evidence and Perspectives

Dennis Niebel  1 , Susanne Saha  2 , Werner Kunz  3 , Beatrix Evers  4 , Martin Gj Löder  5 , Anja Frm Ramsperger  5 , Christian Laforsch  5
Affiliations
Review

Microplastics, Skin Disease, and Dermatology: Evidence and Perspectives

Dennis Niebel et al. Dermatol Clin. 2026 Jan.

Abstract

Microplastics and nanoplastics are found ubiquitously in the environment and might pose risks to skin health. Some particles can penetrate the skin, especially if the skin barrier is compromised. In-vitro studies show that micro-plastics and nano-plastics (MNPs) may cause oxidative stress, trigger inflammation, and induce senescence in fibroblasts. Dermatologists should consider the potential impact of MNPs on skin homeostasis and promote adequate use and disposal of plastics in their personal and occupational settings. This article calls for research on the topic and advocates for plastic-free or bio-degradable alternatives that do not exert adverse effects to mitigate potential risks.

Keywords: Climate change; Microplastics; Plastics; Polymers; Skin disease.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosures D. Niebel received travel reimbursements, honoraria or research funding from: AbbVie, United States, Almirall, Spain, Apogee Therapeutics, AstraZeneca, United Kingdom, Boehringer Ingelheim, Germany, Bristol Myer Squibb, Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, United Kingdom, Hexal AG, Germany/Sandoz Group, Incyte, United States, Johnson & Johnson, United States, Kyowa Kirin, Japan, LEO Pharma, Denamrk, L'Oréal, United States, MSD, United States, Novartis, Switzerland, Pfizer, United States, Regeneron, United States, Sanofi, United States, UCB Pharma, United Kingdom. A.FRM. Ramsperger, M.GJ. Löder and C. Laforsch are funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Germany (DFG, German Research Foundation) – SFB-1357 – Projektnummer 391,977,956, as well as from the European Union’s Horizon2020 Research and Innovation program, under the Grant Agreement number 965367 (PlasticsFatE). The remaining authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

MeSH terms