How to Look 10 Years Older

Just read a magazine article yesterday (from an October 2009 issue, I'm right on top of things) about a study done on identical twins who look 10 years different in age. All the twins pictured were female.

One common difference for this small sample of twins, is that one smoked for over 10 years and the other didn’t. That is no surprise to me. I talked about twin studies and the effects of smoking at my Hypnotic Fountain of Youth workshop at the NGH convention in August.

Sun exposure also plays a role, as expected, the twins, one in Toronto and the other in Florida, look very different.

They also listed weight as a factor for several of these pairs. The conclusion is that extra weight is an advantage when you are over 40 years old, but a disadvantage when younger. In older women, the extra fat tends to smooth out wrinkles, so skin looks more youthful.

Divorce plays a role. The twin who divorced looks older than the one who stayed married. Fortunately this is not a cumulative thing, you don’t age 10 years with every divorce, just the first one.

They mention depression medication, though they don’t identify the twins who took it, as they did not want to be identified. However they note that taking anti-depressant medication for 10 years or more, tends to affect the slant of the eyes and make someone look older than they are.

They did not mention other pharmaceuticals, but we know that people addicted to illegal drugs, and to the legal drug, alcohol, look older than their years.

So if you want to look older, smoke cigarettes, get a divorce, and get out in the sun!