Have you ever looked in the mirror and had those moments where you’ve caught glimpses of your mother staring back at you? Or have you seen the lines around your mother’s eyes, or the loose skin around the jowls, and wondered if you’ll ever look the same way at her age?
Some surgeons and dermatologists believe 50 to 60 percent of facial ageing is about genetics, but others say it is more lifestyle and environment. “To a degree, our facial shape and structure is determined almost exclusively genetically,” says Dr Jorn Flynn, a surgeon based in Gold Coast, Australia.
Here we look at facial ageing, genetics and what you can do to stop the clock:
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The Problem: Wrinkling is mostly due to lifestyle rather than genetics. “The UVA in sun is one of the main components that damages collagen and elastin. As they break down, skin sags and you get wrinkles,” says cosmetic and laser dermatologist Dr Michelle Hunt. Common contributors and smoking and the effects of declining oestrogen levels during menopause.
The Solution: Protect your skin by using sunscreen all year round and avoiding smoking.
The Problem: This is more due to natural ageing than genes but if you’ve inherited your mother’s facial expressions, these can have an impact. “Some people are frowners or eyebrow raisers and share similar expressions. If, like your mother, you’re a frowner, you’ll get heavier lines between your eyebrows. If you’re an eyebrow raiser, you’ll get heavier horizontal lines across the forehead,” explains plastic surgeon Dr George Marcells.
The Solution: Eyelid surgery can remove excess skin in the upper eyelids and correct bags and sagging under the eyes, says Dr George.
The Problem: Brown spots are not a result of your mum’s genes – they’re due to sun exposure.“The cells try to protect their DNA from damage, so they form another layer around the DNA by increasing the melanin and this leads to brown spots,” says Dr Michelle.
The Solution: Use sunscreen and if you have brown spots, laser treatments can remove them. Some fading creams don’t work that well on brown spots but has good effect on freckles, says Dr Michelle.
The Problem: Loss of elastin and natural springiness in the skin, combined with the loss of bony support in the face, can lead to jowls. If you’ve inherited a stronger facial structure from your mum or dad, you’ll weather this process better, says Dr John. “But if you’ve inherited a soft cheekbone, the tissues sag around it and you lose fat volume as you age. You’ll look more tired and drawn,” he explains.
Eating a high-sugar diet can also speed up the development of slacker jowls and wrinkles, says Dr Hunt.
The Solution: Strengthening or firming the skin structure by replacing or maintaining collagen or elastin can help. If you’ve stayed out of the sun, your jowls may be less obvious. Using sunscreen will prevent further skin damage.
The Problem: Dark circles under the eyes can be due to genetics, with some races more prone to this feature as they age – particularly Middle Eastern and European. In some cases, blood vessels under the fine skin below the eyes can create a shadowing effect.
The Solution: “You can try eye creams that thicken the skin under the eye so blood vessels won’t be as prominent. A four percent AHA cream can produce gradual results,” says Dr Michelle. “Stay well hydrated and get enough sleep because dehydration of the skin will make dark circles more prominent.”
The Problem: Hollowness on the inside of the lower eye, near the nose, is an early sign of ageing. The eye trough is caused by natural fat loss. This probably happened to your mum and it’s likely happen to you, but it’s not due to genetics.
The Solution: You can’t do much about hollowing near the eye with creams or through changes to your lifestyle, but you can put volume back in the area with fillers. The most commonly used are hyaluronic acid fillers. “The effect last anywhere from four to 18 months so, as with a good haircut, you’ll need to have the treatment done periodically,” he says.
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(Text by bauersyndication.com.au / Additional reporting by Natalya Molok)