Cecily O'Connor
RedwoodAge.com

When George W. Bush left office, dozens of news channels displayed pictures of the former president before and after his eight-year term.

Although they're identical twins, the woman on the left spent an average of 10 hours a week more in the sun and was perceived to be 11.25 years older than her 61-year-old sister. (ASPS Photo)

In each case, the message was the same: Stress had taken a toll.

Are you seeing the same thing in your own mirror?

Divorce, antidepressant use and other environmental stresses can wreak havoc on a person's face and contribute to premature aging, according to a study published by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Even economic anxiety caused by the see-saw US economy could tarnish one's youthful luster.

The study is based on questionnaires and digital images from 186 pairs of identical twins, who by nature, are "genetically programmed" to age exactly the same, said Dr. Bahaman Guyuron, ASPS member surgeon and study author. The images were reviewed by an independent panel, which recorded the perceived age difference between the siblings.

"A person's heritage may initially dictate how they age - but if you introduce certain factors into your life, you will certainly age faster,"  Dr. Guyuron said. "Likewise, if you avoid those factors you can slow down the hands of time."

'Filling' a Need
Boomers concerned about physical signs of aging have stepped up their use of facial fillers and injections to combat wrinkles in recent years. There were more than 1.5 million injectable filler procedures performed in 2007, according to ASPS statistics.

But those measures can be costly - and temporary. That's why sunscreen, good nutrition, exercise and other natural methods for looking and feeling good are becoming just as attractive. Even small steps like getting enough sleep and drinking plenty of water can help refresh one's appearance.

That said, some external factors are beyond our control. The study's results showed that twins who had been divorced appeared nearly two years older than their siblings who were married, single or even widowed.

"The presence of stress could be one of the common denominators in those twins who appeared older," Dr. Guyuron said.

Antidepressant use was associated with a significantly older appearance, and weight played a major factor, too. Among sets of twins who were younger than 40, the heavier twin was perceived as being older. In those groups over 40 years old, the heavier twin appeared younger.

Additionally, researchers suspect that continued relaxation of the facial muscles due to antidepressant use could account for sagging. And though they do not advocate gaining weight to look younger, researchers note that losing abnormal amounts of weight not only have harmful effects on a person's health, but on their appearance, too.