Many of us see a lot of our parents’ or grandparents’ traits when we look in the mirror. When I look in the mirror, I see my grandmother’s eyes and my dad’s chin — but aside from that I have an almost identical copy of my mother’s face. Genetics are fascinating in that you can almost predict what you will look like as you age based on the person whose features you inherit the most.
But will I have the same wrinkles as my mother when I reach her age? Or will I have a unique set based on other factors like sun exposure, facial expressions, or whether or not I smoke or start using an elite serum rx for wrinkles before they ever start? Could I inherit my dad’s lack of wrinkles despite looking more like my mom?
Though it’s true that some families wrinkle more than others, you shouldn’t worry too much if your grandmother has some of the worst wrinkles you’ve ever seen. After all, you shouldn’t expect to have smooth skin if your dad didn’t get his first wrinkle until he was 50.
That’s because according to the Environmental Protection Agency, up to 90% of the skin changes we see as we get older — like age spots and wrinkles — are caused by the sun. And, what about the other 10%? That can be caused by any number of things, including:
- Wearing makeup to bed on a regular basis
- Sleeping on your stomach or side, with your face in your pillow
- Facial expressions like frowning, smiling, and laughing
- Not drinking enough water
- Not eating enough food with antioxidants, like fruits or veggies
- Neglecting to moisturize your skin regularly
- Consuming too much sugar
- Smoking
- Hormone levels, especially estrogen
With everything that can cause wrinkles, it’s hard to determine how much genetics play a part. Though a recent study found that specific genes in nematode worms play a role in their aging process, it is still unknown if the human counterparts of those genes have a similar effect in the aging process of humans.
And even if those genes, which every human has, are found to have an effect on the aging process in humans — that would mean they do so in every human. They likely wouldn’t affect the aging process differently in every human based on heredity.
So, based on the current research and understanding of the aging process, it’s unlikely that you’ll inherit your wrinkling ability (or avoidance) from family members. Each person will develop wrinkles for different reasons, some will develop more wrinkles than others, and there isn’t much we can do to predict those things.
But while we can’t predict what our skin will do as we age, there is plenty that we can do to prevent wrinkles from happening, such as:
- Always applying an effective sunscreen before spending any amount of time outside and reapplying as needed
- Moisturizing skin regularly and even using an anti-wrinkle cream before wrinkles even begin
- Maintaining a healthy diet with lots of fruits, vegetables, and water
- Never starting to smoke, or quitting earlyArticle Submitted By Community Writer
Article Submitted By Community Writer
