How Genetics Affect Your Skin... And What You Can Do To Fight It

The old nature vs nurture debate... and it’s no different when it comes to your skin! But how much do your genetics affect it? Whilst we spend a lot time trying to correct our problem areas, how much do we actually have control over?

So... Can Genetics Affect Your Skin? A study on the amount of sebum production in identical twins and fraternal twins was carried out to try and find out the answer to that question.

What they found was that there was very little difference in sebum levels between identical twins, but there was a difference between fraternal twins. Therefore it was concluded that someone can be predisposed to something due to their genes. But, between the identical twins, the levels of acne severity differed quite a lot, which means that while some skin conditions (such as sebum levels) can be down to your genes. the side effects (in this case, acne) can be quite different.

So, genetics definitely have some effect on our skin, but only to an extent. If it were only genetics that controlled our skin type, the identical twins would suffer from the same severity of acne.

So... Nature or Nurture?

Truth is, just like with every case, both nature and nurture affect how your skin turns out. There are certain things you can’t necessarily avoid, for example if both your parents have dry skin then you’re a lot more likely to have dry skin, too. This might end up being something you can never fight and you’ll continue to use heavy moisturizers for the rest of your life. But when it comes to the side effects of your skin type, such as eczema, that’s what nurture can control.

There are, as you won’t be surprised to hear, a lot of external factors which affect your skin. Even the basics, like staying hydrated, not drinking or smoking, and your diet can transform your skin more than anyone's genetics can.

So What Can You Do About It?

Recently,  extensive research in stem cell technology means that now it’s possible to actually change the behavior of your skin cells. Using advanced skincare means that you can prevent premature aging by encouraging your skin cells to renew themselves more rapidly. By boosting your collagen levels, you can also help keep your skin plump and youthful as collagen is the protein which, when lost as we grow older, causes our skin to age.

Because science within skincare has developed in the last few years, the role of genetics in skin type and skin conditions is now minimal.