High levels of traffic-related air pollution and air pollution-associated gases may increase risk of developing facial lentigenes, new research suggests. "While NO2 exposure is known to be associated with low lung function and lung cancer, the effect of NO2 on human skin has never been investigated. This is important because environmentally-induced lung and skin aging appear to be closely related," explains lead investigator Jean Krutmann, MD, of the IUF-Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine in Dusseldorf, Germany, in a news release. The most pronounced changes were observed on the cheeks of Asian women aged 50 and older.  Overall, an increase of 10 µg/m3 in NO2 concentration was associated with approximately 25 percent more dark spots, the study showed. That said, there was no association was seen between levels of NO2 and lentigenes' formation on the back of the hands or forearms. The findings appear in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. The study included two groups of women. One group of 806 Caucasian German women who were part of the SALIA study (Study on the influence of Air pollution on Lung function, Inflammation and Aging). The average age of women in this study was 73.5 years  and 20 percent had a history of smoking. These women reportedly spent an average of 2.6 hours a day in the sun. Read more at Derm Wire.     Don't Miss AmSpa's Upcoming Events for 2016! New York Regulatory Workshop: February 22, 2016 How to Successfully Open a Medical Spa--Southeast: March 14-15, 2016 Midwest Medical Spa Workshop, Staff-training and Networking Reception: April 11, 2016 California Regulatory Workshop: May 2, 2016 How to Successfully Open a Medical Spa--Northeast: May 16-17, 2016 Southeast Medical Spa Workshop, Staff-training and Networking Reception: June 6, 2016 How to Successfully Open a Medical Spa--Northwest: September 19-20, 2016 How to Successfully Open a Medical Spa--Texas: November 6-7, 2016 Southwest Medical Spa Workshop, Staff-training and Networking Reception: December 5, 2016