SEVEN SOLUTIONS THAT WILL HELP YOU BEAT SKIN AGING

ZO Skin Age Test

Dermatologists have long known some of the factors that influence skin aging, but some other factors have recently been studied by the Department of Plastic Surgery at University Hospitals Case Western Reserve University. Here is a summary of the state-of-the-art.

It’s tops on every dermatologist’s list. UV rays (and lack of sunscreen) accelerate skin aging, cause hyperpigmentation and skin laxity.The best fix: apply sunscreen every day, in every season.


Damage caused by tanning booths and UVA/UVB rays cause hyperpigmentation, uneven tone, premature lines and wrinkles. It’s the #1 cause of environmental skin aging—and very preventable.

You’ve probably waited a long time to find out when having a few extra pounds actually works to your advantage. If you’re over 40, a slightly higher Body Mass Index (about 4 points) makes you look up to 3 years younger. If you’re over 55, you’ll look even younger than that! If you’re less than 40, the reverse is true.


If you’re over 40, a few extra pounds can actually make you look younger. But too much fullness (a BMI of 30 plus) detracts from a youthful appearance.

Financial stress, personal problems, marital difficulties and job-related stress all take a toll. Stress is definitely inter-related to your physiology as well as your mind, and increases the free radicals in your body—which are constant scavengers of anti-oxidants. Stress causes or exacerbates acne, eczema, rosacea, wrinkles and laxity. Take time to manage your stress with yoga, exercise or deep breathing.


Stress can manifest itself in many ways, but mostly by making skin more sensitive and reactive. For example, stress can exacerbate psoriasis and acne, and make rosacea worse than usual.

Many of the 4,000 toxins contained in cigarette smoke go directly to the bloodstream, and reach the skin. “Smoker’s face” is now actually a term in medical dictionaries, because people who have smoked for 10+ years have added lines and wrinkles (typically perpendicular to the lips), as well as deeper vertical lines on the cheeks. Smoking also affects the tint of the skin and reduces the efficiency of the skin’s ability to regenerate itself. Do you need one more reason to quit smoking?


Smoking accelerates aging. Smokers have less collagen and elastin—so their skin will age prematurely, and appear more wrinkled around the mouth, and more lax overall.

Prescription meds that relax the muscles (such as anti-depressants) may make the skin look older. The author of the Case Western Reserve study theorizes that depression may compromise the production of hormones, like human growth hormone, that contribute to healthy, plump skin. With your physician’s guidance, manage your medications.


Prescription anti-depressants can relax your neck, back and shoulders, but at the same time, relax your facial muscles. Over a prolonged period of time, these overly-relaxed muscles may cause skin laxity and wrinkles.

Skin can develop a dependency on moisturizer, and when skin cells in the dermis sense that the surface skin cells have been plumped by moisturizer, they slow down the collection of water and delay cellular function. It’s better to use moisturizer sparingly, and always be sure to use products that activate and stimulate the skin (e.g., high concentrations of retinol).

Menopause can wreak havoc on your skin, but hormone replacement therapy can help preserve a more youthful look. According to the Case Western study that was published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, a 70-year old who has had HRT for at least 16 years will look four years younger.

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