When it comes to looking older your skin is the feature that most reliably tells your age. A study by experts at Case Western Reserve Medical School in Cleveland using twin subjects finds that lifestyle choices, including smoking, being overweight, not using sunscreen, all take a toll on already sun damaged skin.
Twins were used because they allow researchers to exclude genetic factors (as twins have identical genes) and more accurately judge the effect of lifestyle and environment on the skin.
The work involved collecting data on 65 pairs of twins (fraternal and identical) who were part of the 2002 Twin Days Festival in Twinsburg Ohio. The subjects were asked about their skin type, smoking and drinking habits, their weight and if they had any history of skin cancer.
Skin damage was similar in both identical and fraternal twins, but factors outside of genetics are linked with more skin damage.
The study authors found that long-term sun exposure brings both physical and structural changes to your skin that cause damage. Sun damaged skin has a more coarsely wrinkled surface, extra pigment or spots, lost pigment or dilated blood vessels instead of the fine wrinkles and skin growths you’d normally see in aging skin not damaged by the sun.
In fact, as much as 40% of aging-related changes to skin come from either the environment or lifestyle choices according to the researchers.
Environmental factors included a history of skin cancer, being overweight and smoking.
Drinking was found to bring less skin damage. While added weight usually makes you look older, it was also found to hide damage to the skin because the weight fills out the face.
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Sun, Smoke, Weight Add Years To Your Skin Continued…
One surprise from the research was the skin cancer rate – higher among twins than in the general population.
“This study, with an 8 percent skin cancer rate in twins, seems high when the general population has an incidence of less than 0.5 percent. This in of itself would merit further examination to look at other [potential risk] factors, such as prenatal x-rays, prenatal sonograms and low birth weights,” points out Dr. Jeffrey Salomon, who wasn’t involved in the study but is an assistant clinical professor of plastic surgery at Yale University School of Medicine.
To assess damage to your skin, stand in front of a mirror and hold up either arm so that the unexposed part is next to your face. If the skin of your arm is softer and smoother than the skin on your face, you have damaged skin.
While you can’t change what’s happened so far, there are things you can do now… today, that might just help keep your skin looking younger and fresher.
- Avoid the sun – it’s your skin’s mortal enemy, so be sure to use daily UV protection (in a moisturizer or sunscreen) as well as avoiding being in the sun during the peak hours of 10:00 am – 2:00 pm or wearing protective clothing if you must be outside.
- Stop smoking – as this causes your skin to age early, robbing it of oxygen and nutrients, as well as causing the breakdown of your natural stores of collagen and elastin.
- Drink plenty of water – as this hydrates your skin from the inside out. Eight to ten glasses per day, which sounds like a lot, is good for your skin.
- Exercise – regular activity gives you skin plenty of oxygen so it stays healthy, as well as being a great way to keep your body fit and your weight under control.
- Exfoliate – to remove dead skin cells from the surface of your skin. Exfoliated skin is better able to absorb and benefit from the creams or moisturizers you’re using.
- Daily moisturizing – in the morning and night helps your skin hold on to its elasticity. You might try vitamin C creams for winkle control and fading of brown spots, products with alpha hydroxy acids to keep your skin younger looking.
The work appears in the December 2009 issue of the Archives of Dermatology.
Daily Health Bulletin
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