How old you look can carry information about your health. Several studies link visible aging to survival, and some of the same habits protect both.
Your face tracks your health
In a study of 1,826 Danish twins aged 70 and older, published in the BMJ in 2009, the twin who looked older was more likely to die first. Perceived age predicted survival even after the researchers accounted for actual age.
In 2025, researchers reported in Lancet Digital Health that an AI model estimating "face age" from photographs tracked survival in people with cancer.
Menopause shows up in the skin
Estrogen helps maintain collagen, the protein that keeps skin firm. Women can lose up to 30% of their skin collagen in the first five years after menopause.
Habits that protect both
Daily sunscreen. In a randomized trial in Nambour, Australia, adults who applied sunscreen every day were 24% less likely to show increased skin aging over four and a half years than adults who used it at their own discretion.
Strength training. In a 2023 study of middle-aged women, 16 weeks of resistance training increased skin thickness, and both aerobic and resistance training improved skin elasticity.
Both habits take years to show their effect, so they belong in a long-term plan.
Where treatment fits
WellSpring pairs aesthetic treatment with health measurement in one plan. Your appearance goals and health goals share one baseline and one follow-up schedule.
Sources
- BMJ, Perceived age as clinically useful biomarker of ageing (2009)
- Lancet Digital Health, FaceAge (2025), via PubMed
- Menopause International, Skin ageing and menopause
- QIMR Berghofer, Nambour sunscreen trial (Annals of Internal Medicine, 2013)
- Scientific Reports, Resistance training and skin aging (2023)
Information in this post is general and is not medical advice. Talk with a licensed clinician about your own health.