Piling on the Pounds and Smoking May Accelerate Skin Aging
Ever seen that grandmother beside your house and wondered how she has managed to retain a youthful-looking skin? The process of aging is a mysterious one with scientists trying to find various factors that may accelerate this process. New research has now indicated that excessive weight as well as smoking may adversely affect the skin.
Researchers at the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine studied 65 pairs of identical and fraternal twins who participated in the 2002 Twin Days Festival in Twinsburg, Ohio. The researchers compiled a survey, which was completed by 130 twins with ages ranging from 18 to 77 years.
The survey quizzed the twins about weight, skin type, smoking and drinking habits, and history of skin cancer.
Clinicians assigned a photodamage score for all subjects after taking into consideration factors like wrinkling and pigmentation changes in the skin. Photodamage is defined as the physical and structural changes to the skin caused by sun exposure. Lead researcher Kathryn J. Martires said photodamage results in coarsely wrinkled skin, dilates blood vessels on the face and also causes color changes in the skin.
The researchers revealed that heavier weight, smoking, age and a history of skin cancer were linked to a higher level of photodamage.
“The relationships found between smoking, weight, sunscreen use, skin cancer and photodamage in these twin pairs may help motivate the reduction of risky behaviors,” the researchers wrote in the December issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.”Among the most important results is that a history of skin cancer and photodamage are highly associated in a population that shares genetic commonalities.”
The causes of skin aging are many including facial expressions and sleeping positions. Some of the ways to keep your skin young include:
* Lose excessive weight
* Stop smoking
* Avoid sun exposure during the day
* Use a good moisturizer
* Apply sunscreen having a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30 or higher before venturing out into the sun
As the above study suggests, the best way to reduce photodamage may be to stop smoking and lose those extra unwanted pounds.
