@article{oai:repo.qst.go.jp:00058039,
 author = {Hirobe, Tomohisa and 廣部 知久},
 journal = {Handbook of Diet, Nutrition and the Skin},
 month = {Feb},
 note = {Iron and the dimer of Fe (II) and Fe (III) are very important factors for normal development of skin and its appendages such as hair and nails. Although iron is an essential trace metal, the regulatory mechanisms concerning iron uptake from the intestinal mucosa or through the skin are not well understood. The skin is involved in regulating the body iron content. Excess iron is lost in sweat and through hair and nail growth, but the controlling mechanisms are also not known well. It is said that the human body contains 3–5 g of iron, of which up to 75% may be bound in hemoglobin, with lesser aoumunts in ferritin, myoglobin and transferrin. However, the minimal levels necessary for the structure and function of the skin seem to be quite low. Normal concentration of iron is required for maintaining healthy epidermis, dermis, hair and nails. The dimer of Fe (II) and Fe (III) such as ferrous ferric chloride (FFC) is very important for the regulation of the proliferation and differentiation of mouse and human skin cells. Low concentration of FFC can stimulate the function of mammalian skin. Moreover, FFC can stimulate the proliferation of fibroblasts synergistically with low-molecular weight collagen or the differentiation of melanocytes additionally with herbal medicines. Most importantly, FFC can stimulate the proliferation and differentiation of mouse and human skin cells from a distance without being added to culture medium. These results suggest that FFC is involved in regulating the homeostasis of the skin through the regulation of the turnover of skin cells.},
 pages = {196--214},
 title = {Iron and skin health: iron stimulates skin function},
 year = {2012}
}