Study Shows Divorce, Antidepressants Add Years to the Face

Until not long ago, it was enough to have a look at someone’s mother to tell how that person would age. While this still holds true, a recent study comes to indicate that there are other factors as well that weigh heavily in the fight against the undefeated enemy, time. This also explains why people of the same age may look older or, depending on the case, younger than their years.

The study, published in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, comes to point out that external factors also play an important part in the way one’s countenance looks. Thus, the stress from a divorce, use of antidepressants, and weight loss or gain can add years to a face, which becomes distinctly older-looking. This, of course, comes to overturn the previous idea that aging beautifully was all a matter of heritage, while also offering a means of cheating time, at least apparently, if all the cards are played right.

“A person’s heritage may initially dictate how they age – but if you introduce certain factors into your life, you will certainly age faster. Likewise, if you avoid those factors you can slow down the hands of time,” ASPS Member Surgeon and study author Bahaman Guyuron, MD, says.

Dr. Guyuron further explains that the study has been performed on 186 pairs of identical twins, who were, obviously, exposed to different factors in their lives. The findings indicated that those twins who did not go through a divorce, did not use antidepressants and weighed more (for those under 40) or less (for those aged over 40) actually looked 2 years on average younger than their siblings.

“In this study, we looked at identical twins because they are genetically programmed to age exactly the same, and in doing so we essentially discovered that, when it comes to your face, it is possible to cheat your biological clock.” Dr. Guyuron explains. “This research is important for two reasons. First, we have discovered a number of new factors that contribute to aging and second, our findings put science behind the idea that volume replacement rejuvenates the face.” Dr. Guyuron adds.