For better skin, ditch risky behaviors

CLEVELAND, Dec. 26 (UPI) -- Smoking, being overweight, not using sunscreen and having had skin cancer is associated with sun damaged and aging facial skin, U.S. researchers say.

Kathryn J. Martires of Case Western Reserve School of Medicine in Cleveland and colleagues studied 65 pairs of twins attending the 2002 annual Twin Days Festival in Twinsburg, Ohio.

A total of 130 individuals provided information about skin type, history of skin cancer, smoking and drinking habits and weight.

Clinicians assigned each participant a score based on such characteristics as wrinkling and change in pigmentation, Martires said.

The study, published in the Archives of Dermatology, finds higher levels of sun-related damage, or photodamage, included a history of skin cancer, heavier weight and smoking, whereas alcohol consumption was associated with lower damage scores.

"The Twins Days Festival provides a rare opportunity to study a large number of twin pairs to control for genetic susceptibility. Among the most important results is that a history of skin cancer and photodamage are highly associated in a population that shares genetic commonalities," the researchers say in a statement.

"The relationships found between smoking, weight, sunscreen use, skin cancer and photodamage in these twin pairs may help to motivate the reduction of risky behaviors."