Bad news mates: Aussie women look up to 20 years older than those in Europe and the US, according to a new study by Monash University.
The research compared over 1400 women from here, Canada, the US, and UK and, when it came to age markers like pigmentation, sagging and wrinkling, us Aussies were way ahead of the pack. Great.
The rate at which we lose weight in our face volume (a key sign of ageing) was particularly high with the average woman at least 10 years worse off than our buddies abroad.
The reason? Parched summer days and our ability to stay outdoors for longer during winter means our cumulative sun exposure tends to be higher than other countries.
“High UV levels put Australians at particular risk of photoageing, especially when combined with Australians’ traditionally outdoor, sun-seeking lifestyle and a predominantly fair-skinned population,” researchers told smh.com.au.
But there’s a silver lining to these gloomy findings: although sun exposure was a major factor in ageing, alcohol didn’t seem to have an impact in the study. Slip, slop, slap and sip away!
The takeaway? Limit sun exposure, use a broad-spectrum sunscreen and check out our ultimate anti-ageing workout for ways to help slow down the clock.
Source: Read Full Article