How much of our future is determined by our genes and how much is determined by lifestyle and Environmental factors? Nurture vs Nature. This question has been the centre of many debates and publications throughout recent science history. The truth behind the matter is that both internal factors (genetics) and external factors (Environment and Lifestyle) play hand in hand. A number of external factors often act together with the normal genetic aging process to prematurely age our skin.

It’s a fact of life that our genes play a large role in determining who we are, also who we will become. The evidence of this isn’t limited to the realm of science, it’s expressed in our everyday sayings like “You have great skin”, “You have your mothers eyes”, “Your great uncles nose”, but even in the everyday, the biological outcomes of our organs is determined in large part by our genes.

Your skin’s health is a result of interactions between your genes and lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, stress, smoking, skincare support, alcohol consumption and the Environment. It is your genetic make-up that determines; what nutrients are used and how they are used, the way toxins are removed from your skin, what happens to any waste products and how efficient these key processes are working within your skin to protect against external factors.

Your DNA is important, but it’s only a starting point. By knowing what risks you’ve inherited can allow you to assess your lifestyle and Environment factors accordingly, and take the right steps to protect your skin’s future health and appearance.

1 in 3 people have a genetic variation that predisposes their skin to accelerated wrinkling. This condition causes an MMP and Collagen imbalance which as a result can cause collagen to breakdown at a faster rate. It has been proven that if you use the correct prevention strategies including minor lifestyle alterations you can dramatically slow down this degrading process. However if you live an unhealthy lifestyle, smoke or have overexposure to the sun (forms of Environment interaction) can all lead to the speeding up of this process.

Studies of identical twins show just how much external factors work alongside your DNA to shape your skin’s health and appearance. Identical twins, who share the same genome, more times than often develop the same DNA related skin health conditions. The amount of difference between each twin can show the extent to which each skin related condition depends on genetics and how much it can be influenced by your lifestyle and the Environment. 

Your skin’s genetic risk can’t be changed, but other factors that coincide with your skin’s genetic risk can. Knowing from a genetic test that you’re at increased risk to certain premature aging conditions allows you to pay closer attention to its warning signs and to tailor your preventive health strategies accordingly.
By adjusting your lifestyle and utilizing a custom targeted skincare regimen, science has proven you can have a positive impact on how your genes work, compensate for areas in which your genes are not functioning at an optimum level and potentially even prevent the aging of your skin.