We all know that facial wrinkles and saggy skin are associated with making us look older. However new research has shown that the bones in the face may change over time and contribute to us looking older.

Dr Robert B. Shaw and his team from the University of Rochester Medical Center analyzed tomography scans of facial bones from a large set of patients. The scans were of people needing medical treatment rather than those looking for cosmetic surgery. The team compared the results between young people (20-40 year olds), middle aged people (41 to 64) and older (65+).

The research showed that there were some important differences in the facial bone structure over time. The most prominent change was at increase in the area of orbital aperture (the eye sockets) with the sockets becoming longer and wider with age. The brow, nose and upper jaw angles also appeared to reduce over time, whilst the length and height of the lower jaw was also seen to decrease.

Although the changes were noted in both men and women it appears that the changes happen sooner in women than men: in men, most of the changes appear to occur between middle and old age whilst in women, most of the changes appear between young and middle age.

The research may help cosmetic surgeons tweak how they work to ensure that they mimic a younger bone structure and therefore help their patients look more youthful after treatment.

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The latest trend is for somatropin (also known as Genotropin) to be taken with many devotees claiming that it’s wonderful for the skin and hair – skin is said to become firmer and brighter and hair is said to become thicker. Users also claim that they sleep better and have more energy, and some even go as far as to claim that it reduces body fat and increases muscle mass.

So what exactly is somatropin? Somatropin is generally prescribed for people who are deficient in Human Growth Hormone (hGH). HGH is essential for body growth and is a substance which is produced naturally by most people. Production of hGH peaks around the age of 30 and then slowly starts to decline – for example a 20 year old will produce around 500 micrograms of hGH a day, whereas an 80 year old will produce around 25 micrograms.

Unfortunately, hGH is not a cosmetic and beauty wonder drug and there are strong side effects linked to it, including fluid retention, joint pain and diabetes amongst others. There are also no studies showing the efficacy of it’s anti-ageing properties therefore users may be taking the drug for no discernible reason.

Despite this, there is a small but growing number of devotees – with celebrities such as Courtney Love said to be fans (there are rumours that a bottle of Genotropin was found in a hotel recently vacated by the star). In most countries, hGH is a prescription-only drug therefore cosmetic devotees generally turn to the internet to buy the drug where a month’s supply typically costs around $1,200.

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Using data from the human genome project, a team of scientists led by Procter & Gamble have found approximately 1,500 genes that govern wrinkles. The team also believe that they have pinpointed either major causes of aging skin.

The best anti-ageing products currently on the market tend to do little to actually stop or reverse the anti-ageing process. Instead, they tend to plump up the skin or help smooth the appearance of wrinkles. However with the discovery of the genes that help control how soon people will get wrinkles it is hoped that ageing itself will soon be tackled head on.

It appears that some of the ‘well known’ beauty secrets hold true: Wrinkles and ageing is partly down to environment and partly down to genes. The key factors that the team have identified are:

• Hydration: The research team believe that the way that the skin collects and holds on to water is one of the key ageing processes. As the skin ages, the genes that control this process may become less active. The skin will then retain less moisture and this leads to wrinkles.
• Collagen: As we get older, the genes that degrade collagen may become more active and this may cause more wrinkles in the skin. There are currently thought to be about 40 genes involved in the lessening of collagen over time.
• Inflammation: There are around 400 genes that have been identified with inflammation in the skin. These tend to become more active with age, thus creating more wrinkles.
• Antioxidants: Around 200 genes are thought to help control the skin’s defence against free radicals. Age weakens these defences and this can help cause wrinkles.
• Photo-Ageing: Sunlight speeds up the natural ageing process. Sunlight may also damage the genes involved in keeping the skin healthy and this may help cause wrinkles.

By identifying some of the genes that cause ageing – more specifically wrinkles – researchers hope that they will be able to create drugs that will be able to stimulate helpful genes are suppress others to help stop the ageing process or even help restore more youthful skin.

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Rapamycin is already in use in heart operations, to help suppress the immune systems of organ transplant patients, and is also currently in the process of being assessed for it’s anti-cancer properties. Researchers are now investigating whether rapamycin will also help anti-ageing.

The first results have been promising – in test on animals, the chemical extended the average life expectancy by 38 percent. 2,000 mice that were around 600 days old were used – the equivalent of a 60 year old human. About a quarter of the mice were fed as normal whilst the rest were given rapamycin. The female mice had an increased life span of 1,245 days compared to 1,094 days, and the male mice had an increased life span of 1,179 compared to 1,078.

Unfortunately, the drug is not likely to be used for anti-ageing in the very near future. In it’s current form, rapamycin suppresses the immune system which means patients are very vulnerable to viruses and bacteria. It also currently increases the risk of cancer. It is hoped that rapamycin can be examined and a new drug created that has the same effects but doesn’t suppress the immune system.

As yet, it is unclear how rapamycin fully works. Rapamycin acts on a protein in cells called TOR. It is believed that it fools the body into thinking that calories are being restricted. Many studies in the past have shown that cutting calories can expand life spans in both animals and humans.

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Ever since Efudix has been used there has been anecdotal evidence about it’s anti-ageing properties. Researchers from the University of Michigan decided to study Efudix in an attempt to discover whether the cream did actually hold anti-wrinkle properties or not.

The team looked at a group of twenty-one 56-85 year olds who were all being treated for actinic keratoses (a precancer usually found on the face, neck and forearms). Each of the patients in the group used Efudix twice daily for six months. Once the six months was up, the researchers compared their skin with their skin before the treatment.

The results have been published in the Archives of Dermatology and shows that te researchers found that the patients had softer skin with improved texture and fewer wrinkles, as well as no precancerous cells. The skin was also said to be more toned, less yellow with discolorations such as brown spots reduced.

Efudix cream costs around £18 for a 20g tube. However it will cause the skin to be quite raw and red. In some patients, the cream will causes high levels of irritancy, so much so that some people may not wish to use the cream.

Efudix cream works by peeling away the surface of the skin, a similar sort of technique to laser skin resurfacing. Any wrinkles which are caused by sun damage should be lessened once the cream has been applied, however the cream will have little effect on deep-set wrinkles not caused by the sun.

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Researchers at the University of Manchester carries out a clinical trial on 60 volunteers to determine how effective the product was. The results showed that 70% of people had significantly fewer wrinkles after 12 months of daily use compared to those given a placebo.

The study is not the first time that Boots’ product has hit the headlines – last year a study showed that the serum stimulated the production of fibrillin-1, a protein that helps promote elasticity in the skin. When these results were published, Boots were overrun with women wanting to buy their Protect & Perfect serum.

This new study is the first time that the cream has been studied over a long period of time. The study was funded by Boots themselves and was tested on 11 men and 49 women aged between 45 and 80.

The placebo cream contained no known anti-ageing products and both products were supplied in identical packaging so volunteers were unaware which formulation they were testing.

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It is well known that smells can leave a lasting impression. With their perfume, ‘Ageless Fantasy’, Harvey Prince Co. conducted trials with 75 men to determine which smells were most associated with youthfulness. Grapefruit and mango featured highly and are key ingredients of the anti-aging perfume and the fragrance is said to be exciting, energizing and uplifting and makes the wearer feel younger and make others believe she is younger.

All the ingredients in this anti-ageing product are organic and many contain natural anti-oxidants to help boost the youthful visage. The perfume is, as you would expect, prescription free and requires no plastic surgery or needles. This anti age elixir is also claimed to be safe to use in any quantity and can be used whenever the wearer wants.

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The first of the modern generation of fillers came on to the market in the early 1980s with the collagen fillers, Zyderm and Zyplast. Collagen was revolutionary at the time in that the products could be taken off a package on the shelf and (usually) safely injected into the face to fill out wrinkles, lips and facial contours. Collagen fillers however, revolutionary as they were, were far from perfect. The collagen was derived from Cow’s hide and consequently was associated with a 1 in 20 chance of an allergic reaction therefore everyone had to have a skin test carried out two weeks prior to having the treatment. Even that wasn’t full proof however and some patients who had a negative skin test still went on to have an allergic reaction when the full treatment dose was administered. Other problems with collagen included a limited duration of action, with the results generally lasting only 8-12 weeks at a time. There was also a theoretical possibility of the transmission of disease from cow’s to humans.

In the mid-1990s Swedish company Q-Med launched the first ever hyaluronic acid based dermal filler: Restylane. Hyaluronic acid is a glycoprotein present in normal skin and joints. It is manufactured by genetically engineering bacteria to produce it and because of the non-animal source there is a much lower risk of allergic reaction (approximately 1 in 2000) therefore it can be injected without the need for a skin test. Best of all it lasts longer than collagen, approximately 3-4 months between injections.

Since Q-Med introduced their hyaluronic acid filler to the market there have been many other companies who have jumped on the hyaluronic acid band wagon, producing more refined and technically advanced versions of the gel. New brands of hyaluronic acid such as Teosyal and Juvederm Ultra which are manufactured to give a smoother result and have increased cross linking between molecules. The increased cross linking means that the molecules are more stable making them more difficult for the body to break down and therefore causing the results to last longer. Treatments with Teosyal or Juvederm ultra typically last in the 8-12 month range – a vast improvement from previous products.

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Scientists have discovered that a protein may be linked to the spread of several major cancers and that this protein may one day mean that wrinkles are banished forever.

The RHAMM protein (Receptor for Hyaluronan Mediated Motility) has been found to help regulate the signalling of fat cells during tissue repairs. This research has followed on from previous work showing that if the protein was over-expressed, there was a poor patient outcome for some of the more common cancers such as colon cancer, breast cancer and stomach cancer.

The latest studies show that by blocking the expression of the RHAMM protein by either deleting the gene or by introducing a blocking agent, a generation of fat cells can be selectively induced to replace those lost during the aging process. The blocking process has another plus too – it reduces the deposits of unhealthy visceral fat.

This research indicates that it may eliminate the need for Botox or facial anti-aging surgery by helping to normalize the skin and reduce wrinkles. Many people are excited about this cosmetic development because it may prove to be a safer alternative to Botox – the RHAMM inhibitors have long-lasting effects, just like Botox, however they do not involve muscle paralysis therefore the patient should not lose any facial expression or movements.

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A new product is currently going through the clinical trial process which may revolutionise the way that patients encourage collagen production. TOKI is a drink made with Hijiki seaweed extracts, collagen peptides and a number of other key ‘youth-enhancing’ ingredients.

During one of the initial trials, 32 women between the ages of 35 and 65 drank TOKI regularly over an 8 week period. During the trial, each woman’s blood collagen levels were tested and it was found that the overall blood collagen levels increased – blood collagen helps improve the outer layer of the skin.

The manufacturers of TOKI claim that results will be seen within as little as 45 days. The product itself has been released for sale in the form of a powder which is diluted into water, ready for drinking. It is claimed that drinking the liquid allows for quick absorption of the key ingredients into the bloodstream, and if drunk on a regular basis the drink will help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and help skin look tighter, smoother and therefore younger.

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