I am always amused when some organization does a study that reveals what common sense and regular life's observations already told us. And very often these ain't-it-obvious research pieces take the obvious to ridiculous lengths — for example, gun-toting drivers are more prone to road rage, faraway objects are tougher to see, swallowing more than one magnet is dangerous, etc. Here's the latest one and it's all about facial wrinkes: Women are More Prone to Facial Wrinkles Than Men:
Findings from a new study published in the November/December issue of Aesthetic Surgery Journal (ASJ), a publication of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), suggest that gender-specific differences in the perioral skin (skin surrounding the mouth) account for more and deeper skin wrinkling in women than in men. The study, conducted by a team of plastic surgeons from the Netherlands, was presented at the annual meeting of the European Association of Plastic Surgeons last May in Barcelona, Spain.
The study found that all of the following could be contributing factors to the presence of more and deeper perioral wrinkles in women:
* Women’s perioral skin contains fewer sweat glands and sebaceous glands (microscopic glands in the skin that secrete an oily/waxy matter, called sebum, to lubricate skin and hair), which could influence the natural filling of the dermis (skin).
* Women’s perioral skin contains fewer blood vessels and, therefore, is less vascularized compared to men, which could accelerate the development of wrinkles.
* In women, the closer attachment of the muscular fibers surrounding the orifice of the mouth to the dermis may cause an inward traction, thereby creating deeper wrinkles.
Many of my female friends are chuckling over the study. "In addition to this so-called scientific information," one wrote, "keep in mind that men shave everyday and by their grooming habits exfoliate on a regular basis from an early age. There are also hormonal reasons for why women's faces wrinkle more than men. You can run down the list. Every woman knows what these doctors spent a lot of time and effort trying to 'prove'."
Read about the study here.