Shocking images of identical twins that lead very different lives, reveal the harmful effects smoking, bad diet, divorce and sun can have on our faces.
Researchers looked at 186 brother or sister couples to see how they were otherwise outdated because of various contrasting lifestyle factors.
A professional photographer took standardized, close-up photos of the face of every twins and the participants filled in questionnaires with regard to their medical and lifestyle history.
Without knowledge of the backgrounds of the twins, plastic surgeons then analyzed the features of the twins, including the assessment of wrinkles and age -related facial characteristics.
One of the most surprising differences were the 27-year-old twins Dina and Gina (seen below).
While Gina weighed 50 pounds more than her twins when their portraits were taken, the researchers said they looked considerably older with a rounder, less defined face.
The researchers have also looked at how the civil state can influence the way we can see. They thought that women who were divorced seemed older than their married or single counterparts.
The twins that were divorced seemed about 1.7 years older than the twins that were not divorced. In this category, the 54-year-old twins Janet and Jean (also below) were.
One of the most surprising differences were the 27-year-old twins Dina and Gina. While Gina (left) weighed 50 pounds more than her twins when their portraits were taken, the researchers said she looked considerably older with a rounder, less defined face
They thought that women who were divorced seemed older than their married or single counterpart. In this category, the 54-year-old twins Janet and Jean. Divorced Jean (left) turned out to look older than Janet, who had been married for more than three decades
Jean turned out to be older than Janet with a darker Undeye area, pronounced pronounced smiling lines and 'numerous and deeper vertical frown lines'.
Dr. Bahman Guyuron, a plastic surgeon in Cleveland, Ohio, and the main author of the study, suggested that this was probably because Jean was divorced after 27 years of marriage.
Her situation contrasted with Janet, who had been married for more than three decades.
Dr. Guyuron emphasizes that relationship problems can have an impact on appearance, with chronic stress that damages DNA and causes inflammation.
Other stunning comparisons emerged between couples of identical twins where one smoked and the other did not.
In some cases, the observed age difference of the twins was more than eight years.
With Brenda, 52, who participated in the study, plastic surgeons thought she was 6.25 years older than her identical twin barb (seen below).
This was due to her smoking habit of half a package per day for 14 years, 14 hours of sun exposure per week and lower body mass index.
In a response to this case, Dr. Guyuron: 'The Frontoons of loose skin under Brenda's eyes are due to her cigarette habit.
'When I see that [on patients]I don't have to ask if they smoke. I know they do that. '
Twins (natural age 52) with a difference in smoking history. Twin A (left) had a 20-year-old larger smoking history than Twin B (right). Observed age difference of the twins was 6.25 years old
When it came to smoking, the researchers said the longer the twins smoked, the older they appeared. It took only five years to smoke to see a difference between the twins (left on the left shows a photo of the twins that smoked and right, the twins that was a non-smoker
In the meantime, sun exposure turned out to be just as harmful to the facial skin.
In one case, a 61-year-old woman named Susan had 10 hours more exposure to the sun than her identical twins Jeanne per week (below).
She also smoked 16 years of her life.
As a result, she was estimated at 11.25 years older, with many age spots and patches of discoloration on her face, along with deeper wrinkles.
The difference between them was exacerbated by the fact that her twin Jeanne also had a higher body mass index (2.7 points higher), the researchers said that test subjects look after the age of 40 more youthful due to a plumper face.
Interestingly, this phenomenon is reversed for twins under 40 years of age, with a higher body mass index associated with an older appearance.
Gemini (natural age 61) with a significant difference in sun exposure. Twin B (left) had larger sun exposure than Twin A (right) for about 10 hours a week
Twin A (right) also had a Body Mass Index 2.7 points higher than that of Twin B, which contributed to her youthful appearance. The observed age difference was 11.25 years old
Hormone replacement therapy turned out to be another factor that ensured that twin sets are aging slightly differently (seen below).
Estrogen and progesterone replacements were associated with a younger appearance.
As the age of the twin set increased, the effect of the hormone replacement therapy increased slightly.
There were also greater differences of years of hormone therapy between the twins in younger observed age of the twins in hormone replacement therapy.
In comments on this trend, the researchers said: 'The role of hormones in aging is not … clearly defined.
'In women, estrogen contributes to the thickness and elasticity of the skin, although the mechanism is not clearly defined.
'Decrease in estrogen in menopause can lead to visible signs of face aging, while hormone replacement therapy may encounter these consequences.
“In addition, hormonal imbalance in male pattern alopecia and a receding hairline results.”
The results were more final when it came to smoking, where the researchers confirmed the longer the twins smoked, the older they appeared.
It took only five years to smoke to see a difference between the twins and smoking every ten years turned out to be added for 2.5 years to the estimated age of the smoker.
The smokers had more sagging from the upper eyelids, as well as more bags from the lower eyelids and under the eyes.
Twins (natural age 57) with a difference in smoking history. Twin B (left) had a 40-year-old larger smoking history than Twin A (right). The observed age difference was 8.25 years
Twin A (right) also had hormone replacement therapy for two years
Twins that smoked also had higher scores for wrinkles in the face, including more pronounced nasolabial folds (lines between the nose and mouth), wrinkling the upper and lower lip and sagging cheeks.
Smoking reduces oxygen to the skin, which also reduces blood circulation, and that can lead to weathered, wrinkled, older -looking skin, Dr. Guyuron out.
Twins with a longer duration of smoking had worse scores for bags on the lower lids and under the eyes and wrinkles with lower lip.
Gemini (natural age 71) with a difference in hormone replacement therapy. Twin B (right) had hormone replacement therapy for 22 years than twin a (left)
Twin B (right) also had a 1.2 lower body mass index that made her look older. The observed age difference was 7.25 years old
Most of the smoke -related differences influenced the middle and lower thirds of the face.
There were fewer differences in aging of the upper surface, such as forehead lines or 'crow's feet' around the eyes.
In general, the research showed that the smokers had worse scores for the upper eyelid's skin, the lower lid bags, malar bags, nasolabial folds, upper lip wrinkles, wrinkles with lower lip vermilion and cheeks.
The report also warns smokers that, regardless of how long they are addicted to the habit, stopping or cutting back can now make a big difference for all aspects of a person's health, including skin damage to their faces.
“It is remarkable that even among sets of Gemini where both smokers are, a difference in five years or more of the smoke duration can cause visibly identifiable changes in facial aging,” wrote Dr. Guyuron.
Summarizing the findings of his studies in all lifestyle factors, he concluded: 'Multiple environmental factors can contribute to aging facial treatment.
Gemini (natural age 58) with differences in Body Mass Index. Twin A (right) had a 14.7-point higher body mass index than Twin B. No other differences between these twins were distinguished from the questionnaire. The observed age difference was 5.25 years old
'This analysis of [identical] Twins inherently permitted for the control of the genetic influences of aging. '
The topics were interviewed and photographed during the Twins Day Festival in Twinsburg, Ohio, in 2009.
The event, which started in 1976, is now the world's largest annual meeting of twins, with more than 30,000 attendees.
