By Dr. Samantha Ristimaki, BSc, ND of Balance Wellness Center

In your 20’s, wrinkle cream is the last thing on your mind.  You are more concerned about your studies, career, social life and fun in general.  By the time you hit your 30’s, life keeps going but your body starts to slow down a bit and you may start to feel some of the effects of aging.  Some of us become more conscious of ourselves as we see our bodies change.  It’s not as easy to shed a few pounds before a big event and you wonder when on earth those few wrinkles crept in around your eyes.  Whether you realize it or not, how you treat your body now is dramatically going to affect how you look and feel within the next 40 years.

It’s becoming more and more apparent that facial skin is a marker for health and wellness throughout the aging process.  

The first study, conducted in the 70’s, made this very apparent by looking at the wrinkles which appear in smokers.  The study demonstrated that smoking may exceed the risk of sun exposure.  Those people with the worst wrinkle scores were smokers who not only looked more aged than their non-smoking counterparts, but also had the highest risk of chronic disease.

Early in the 80’s, one study estimated a person’s age based on physical appearance without any prior knowledge of health records.  Then, information about the person’s health over 19 years was collected.  Other clinical information about health was also gathered separately and results demonstrated that there was a strong correlation between having more severe wrinkles and poor health.  The patients who died within the 19 years of the study duration were found to look an average of 4 years older than their chronological age.  The survivors were reported to look .59 years younger.  A winkle may not be just a wrinkle after all. 

UV damage to the skin is known to cause premature aging.  A recent Spanish study also examined the effects of UV damage and the impact of other lifestyle choices on the perceived age of women aged 30­-70.  Fifty-five independent examiners estimated the age of subjects based on digital facial photographs.  Those found to appear younger than their chronological age were more likely to adhere to a healthy diet, have better sleep and avoid excess sun exposure. 

A study of 4,025 women who stayed away from direct sun exposure demonstrated women with a high fat and carbohydrate intake significantly increased wrinkle appearance.  It also discovered that higher dietary vitamin C intake and linoleic acid (an omega 3 from plant sources) reduced the appearance of wrinkles as well as skin dryness which occurs with aging.

Wrinkles are not only undesirable in terms of cosmetic appearance but we now know they are also a sign of poor health.  Instead of waiting until you think you need to treat your wrinkles with botox, start now by striving to eat well and maintain healthy lifestyle habits. Taking good care of your body is the best way to stay healthy and beautiful for a lifetime.