How Skin Care (and Other Lifestyle Choices) Can Affect Your Genes

How Skin Care (and Other Lifestyle Choices) Can Affect Your Genes


When it is said that someone has good genes, it usually means that they are fortunate to have inherited, rather than earned, a positive attribute, such as straight teeth, impressive height or exceptional intelligence. While this is still true on many counts, we’re now discovering that lifestyle choices—both healthy and otherwise—have a greater effect on DNA than formerly believed. In this edition of our Doctor’s Office series, Dr. Charlene DeHaven, a specialist in anti-aging medicine and clinical director of iS Clinical, explains epigenetics and why you may want to think twice about skipping your workout, cancelling your social plans and the skin care products you use.

 What Are Epigenetic Factors?

Epigenetic factors are those qualities that control genes by “talking back” to our DNA, giving it messages of when to turn certain genes—for example, those involved in the determination of your weight or risk factor for disease—on and off. There are many epigenetic factors influencing DNA, including the following:

    • The health of your microbiome. The microorganisms that live in our digestive tracts and on our skin play an important role in overall health.
    • Your social life. Social interactions and the avoidance of isolation figure very prominently in maintaining both physical and mental health, especially in the later years.
    • Your attitude. Persons with an optimistic outlook have improved health outcomes compared to individuals with feelings of hopelessness.






















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