Do you ever wish you had perfect skin genetics? Do you ever wish you could feast on pizza without any consideration of whether your skin can withstand it? Do you ever wish you could spend all day at a waterpark without worrying about the chlorine and a million tiny, red pimples the next day?
Well here’s the good news. Yes, acne-causing genetics are real, but they can be overcome very easily. Perhaps you have genetically overactive sebaceous glands, causing your skin pores to be constantly clogged. If so, simply load your diet with fruits and vegetables and the correct fats, and the extra sebum will quickly become harmless. Are your skin pores too small? Never exceed a comedogenic rating of 2/5 when using a topical treatment.
The bottom line is that acne genetics are an initial disadvantage, but once you gain the expert knowledge, no obstacle to clear skin at all.
Even better, new evidence suggests that they might in fact be a good thing. Your acne genetics may make you one of the luckier humans living today.
You may doubt those words when you look in the mirror, but new research claims that thanks to natural variations in genetics, acne patients age more slowly than other human beings.
Do acne patients possess the fountain of youth?
The research in question is a highly interesting study released in September 2016. It burst onto newspaper front pages with the headlines claiming that people with acne would end up living longer.
Of course, the newspapers couldn’t resist being savvy and hyping the story up further, claiming that demoralised and acne-ridden teenagers would finally get revenge as the biological age of their bodies slowly became 5 to 6 years less than their actual age.
Read Annihilate Your Acne – get the ultimate diet for clear and glowing skin!
So here’s the raw data from the actual study itself. A group of London scientists gathered 1205 twins and measured the length of their white blood cell telomeres. Telomeres are nucleotide sequences found at the end of chromosomes, designed to protect those chromosomes from deterioration during the process of replication.
Telomeres slowly shrink and break down as cells grow older, eventually leading to the cell’s death. This is a standard part of the human aging process, and it’s for that reason that telomeres are a subject of much research by anti-aging pioneers.
A quarter of the twins studied had experienced acne in their lifetime. With all results adjusted for age, relatedness, weight, and height, acne patients were shown to have a significantly longer telomere length in their white blood cells. This meant that those cells were protected from ageing.
What’s more, they identified a specific gene involved with the increased length which was also behind increased acne. The gene, the p53 pathway, regulates programmed cell death in humans. P53 was found to be less active in both the acne-prone twins and those with the elevated telomeres. The results were sufficiently interesting that the scientists proposed investigating the link between suppressed cell death and acne further.
Then in the press release, the scientists claimed that a link between teenage acne and delayed skin aging had already been established for years in clinical trials. They reported that signs of ageing such as thinner skin and wrinkles appear much later in people with a history of acne.
A genetic predisposition to longer telomeres was a solid explanation, the authors claimed. White blood cell telomere length is considered to be an effective proxy for the length of telomere cells elsewhere in the body.
After the newspapers came up with their 120 year life stories, the journal later issued a press release debunking them. They claimed that their findings were misinterpreted, that no longer lifespan was observed. But they did reaffirm the benefits for ageing, and that acne patients tend to age more slowly in general.
The real world factors involved
The study is seriously interesting, but one factor the scientists didn’t elaborate on was which physical factors produce the link.
It’s all well and good commenting on the longevity genes, but what do they psychically do to the face to increase acne? The last interesting piece of information from their report was their previous theory; that the delayed aging was due to heightened sebum production acting as never-ending skin protection.
However, they discarded this in favour of the connection to telomeres. Therefore the inactivity of the p53 gene appears to be the key to all this. Since it’s involved with programmed cell death, you might deduce that poor regulation of skin cells is a factor.
You might further deduce that keratin is involved. Keratin is a highly adhesive protein found in rhino horns, dog claws, and human skin. Its job is to bind human skin cells together, but when production is too high, it ends up binding dead skin cells together in huge clumps. These end up as one of the two main villains behind clogged skin pores.
Important article – the top 6 vitamins and minerals for clearing acne
Most importantly, the protein keratin is manufactured by skin cells known as keratinocytes. Too many keratinocytes equals too much acne. The whole scenario seems ripe for a connection to this p53 gene.
Indeed, when I researched this theory, I came across this interesting study. It began by describing a protein complex called KRT17, which both manufactures keratinocytes and gives them structural stability. The point of this study was to analyse the relationship between the gene p53 and kRT17.
The scientists found that deactivating p53 abolished any down regulation of KRT17. Hence the scientists concluded that “p53 operates as a direct Krt17 repressor”.
That’s about as clear a connection as you can get. P53 might well regulate some other minor areas in acne, but keratin, alongside oxidised sebum, is one of the two biggest causes of chronically clogged pores.
So the situation is simple. If you’re reading this you may have genetics which lead to increased binding together of dying skin cells. But don’t worry – the pimples can be dealt with, and those same genetics could keep you looking freakishly young for years, long after your acne is a distant memory.
You will age slowly whether you like it or not
What’s better is the other ways in which acne will keep you looking young forever. If you use all the natural hacks and secrets for keeping your skin clear without conventional treatments, you can put your feet up and end up looking younger automatically.
For example, there are few more researched areas of human longevity than the menace of free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules which are missing an electron, and live in a constant cycle of trying find a new one. Their target? Other, healthy cells. An overload of free radicals in your body (known as oxidative stress), whether it’s caused by air pollution or sunflower oil, is theorised to age cells prematurely.
The result is that you age prematurely. This is why smokers of tobacco cigarettes and their 100 trillion free radicals per puff end up wrinkled faster than average. It’s why antioxidants are most associated with life extension and eternal youth in mass advertising campaigns.
The relevance for acne is that getting more antioxidants and decreasing free radicals is absolutely vital for everyone. It’s vital for preventing depleted nutrients, weakened skin cells, and a bonus helping of clogged skin pores. Oxidative stress is one of the two biggest root causes of acne.
Important article – the top 7 natural topical treatments for acne
Much of the advice on this website is geared towards this goal. It could be eating tons of fruits and vegetables or buying spring water in place of contaminated tap water. Therefore it’s lucky that the very same strategy will also result in you staying youthful for longer.
That’s just the intentional strategies as well. Consider the antioxidant superoxide dismutase (SOD). This compound is manufactured inside the human body from the minerals zinc, copper, and manganese. Vitamin C also acts as a co-factor.
SOD is considered to be one of the very strongest anti-ageing compounds. One specific type called manganese superoxide dismutase has been shown to cause premature aging when lacking in the skin…
…and many of the greatest acne strategies tend to increase SOD with no intention of doing so. If you’re stressed you might take vitamin C to decrease your stress hormone levels; vitamin C is a co-factor of SOD.
Zinc is probably the greatest mineral for acne in existence. You might take it daily to enhance vitamin A absorption and lower inflammation, but before you know it, your SOD supplies have shot up as well. Exercise can increase superoxide dismutase, red wine can increase superoxide dismutase, and so can herbs like basil.
Soon a full article on superoxide dismutase will show up here, but if you’re a natural clear skin maniac already, your levels are near guaranteed to be higher than average.
That’s just one example of this phenomenon. The simple act of eating healthily and naturally sparks a chain reaction whereby factors of health you had no intention to affect suddenly begin to supercharge themselves. Ageing is particularly improved.
Maybe you once read about the dangers of sugar for acne, and switched to 85% dark chocolate as your daily treat. Before you know it the copious antioxidants have extended your life and you’re suddenly 120 years old.
Why you are destined to stay young
It doesn’t end there; collagen production is another key aspect of gaining strong skin. More collagen equals skin that is resistant to damage, and pimples that heal with rapid speed. Vitamin C and amino acids like glycine are vital for increasing it.
Guess what? A steady drop in collagen formation from age 25 onwards is responsible for wrinkles, thinner skin, and other noticeable cosmetic aspects of ageing. Scientists call collagen the “glue” of the body. Basically, the skin’s fibroblasts not only produce less collagen with age, but that which is produced has an inferior protein structure. Even stiffer joints are down to lower collagen; collagen is a vital connective tissue there as well.
You can’t prevent the natural decline in collagen, but what you can do is significantly increase your output with respect to your age. Here in 2017, collagen is sold in creams, but an acne-clearing diet is really all you need.
Then there’s the wisdom you’ll gain on the perils of commercial topical treatments. Interestingly, with topical treatments, your story could follow two scenarios: 1) you never discover the natural strategies, and age faster, or 2) you do, and obtain the fountain of youth.
Benzoyl peroxide is one example. BP works on human skin by breaking apart into free radicals when it comes into contact with the skin. These free radicals kill p.acnes bacteria, but they’re also why a vast swathe of unhappy customers report that their skin seems to age while using it.
Why vitamin C is the acne nutrient you cannot ignore
With dietary knowledge, you can avoid this. What’s more, you can switch to natural topical treatments with the opposite effect. Witch hazel and raw honey both contain plenty of antioxidants, in addition to antibacterial powers. Applying these antioxidants directly to your face will make the anti-ageing benefits ultra-concentrated.
You’ll also know to avoid chemical cosmetics unrelated to acne. Bargain basement make-up, shampoo, and shower gel contain chemicals such as parabens which generate free radicals; these will be off the agenda.
Conclusion
All in all, you may be angry with your acne today, but 5 years down the line, your prospects will be very different. You have an in-built genetic advantage and if you play your cards right, you will age slower than the average human.
If you’re annoyed at having wasted years of healthy and clear skin because of an onslaught of acne, you can make up for it spectacularly with superhuman youth later on. The study above is highly promising. The more clogged your pores tend to be, the greater the chance you possess the Holy Grail p53 gene. Another “side effect” of your efforts will be a healthier glow to your skin.
Rather than worrying constantly about the pimples in the mirror today, let your acne by a catalyst for greatness in the years ahead. Firstly, follow the diet and lifestyle information on this website to clear your skin naturally. Your era of acne can easily end pretty soon. Advice on overcoming acne genetics can be found in this article. Secondly, relax as the improvements show up.
In fact, there’s more to it than skin. The improvements may shock you. You could acquire SAS-style night vision, improved muscle mass without lifting, more energy, and extra intelligence.
Overall, your acne might be a nightmare right now, but in the future, you could look back and be glad that you had it.
NEXT: learn the root causes of acne, clear your skin permanently
Thanks for reading!