You may be surprise that smoke, sun and weight can seriously damage your skin, all of these make you look older than you really are. Experts at Case Western Reserve Medical School in Cleveland has come at this conclusion after they had studied 65 pairs of indistinguishable and fraternal twins who attended the 2002 Twin Days Festival in Twinsburg, Ohio. This is a rare chance to study a large number of twin pairs to manage for genetic susceptibility.

In the research, twins who range in age from 18 to 77 were asked about their skin type, weight, smoking and drinking habits, history of skin cancer. The experts have found out that skin damage was alike among the twins whether they were identical or fraternal, which puts forward that people with the same genetic composition are more likely to have the same kind of sun damage.

The study noted that up to 40 percent of aging-related skin changes are due to non-genetic factors. Age, smoking, and a history of skin cancer were all linked with higher levels of photo damage. Actually, the skin cancer rate among the twins was found to be higher than in the wide-ranging population.  Cigarette smoking has long been known as a source of wrinkles. And although smoking-related wrinkles may not come into view for a decade or more after the first puff, damage to the connective tissue, which is the starting point for the skin’s smooth appearance, occurs with every cigarette smoked. Cigarette smoke induces matrix metalloproteinase in the skin and inhibits procollagen synthesis through modification of transforming growth factor beta. The combination of smoking and sun exposure is predominantly toxic.

The most widespread symptoms of skin damage include dry, scaly skin; skin with a yellow, leathery appearance; broken capillaries; fine, coarse wrinkles or pigmentation problems. Sun spots, also recognized as liver or age spots, are flat brownish colored patches that come into view on the body, most often on the face, arms and hands. The experts say they expect that people will use the study findings to change their behaviors and prevent excessive skin damage from controllable environmental factors. The links that were found between smoking, weight, sunscreen use, skin cancer and photodamage in these twin pairs may help to encourage the decrease of risky behaviors.