Anti-Aging and Acne Solutions

I was watching the news this morning, and caught a very interesting segment on twins and aging, mostly related to their skin.

This study showed that identical twins do not necessary age, or show their age on their skin, in the same way.  One would think if they were identical, their skin would age identically, no?

No, not at all!  In fact, they showed side by side comparisons of twins, and some of the pictures were really amazing.  What had aged the skin of one twin over the other?

1.  Sun exposure.  When one twin was more of a sunbather than the other, the twin that got more sun exposure had more wrinkles, freckling and other skin damage. 

2.  Smoking.  When one twin smoked and the other one did not, the smoker appeared much older.  And, truly, without a huge lecture on smoking, but the difference was quite remarkable.

And the surprising third reason?  Drum roll…

3.  Weight.  The twin that was more "full figured" than the other looked much younger.  The doctor questioned on the segment said that…of course…this is not a reason to gain weight (duh!).  However, the issue is more pronounced when a woman loses a lot of weight in her 40′s or older, or is underweight for her height and frame.   As we age, we lose the fullness in our face, and being extremely thin or losing a great deal of weight later in life can make your face even thinner, making fine lines and wrinkles more pronounced.

Interestingly, the twin that was only a few pounds heavier than her sister looked more than 5 years younger, according to the doctor!

The true "moral of the story" is that one of the best things you can do to fight aging is to live a healthy lifestyle.  Avoid excessive sun exposure, and always wear sunscreen.  Avoid smoking, even second-hand smoke.  And, maintain a healthy and consistent weight to avoid the yo-yo AND aging affect of rapid weight loss or excessive weight loss can have on your skin.