Why, at the same age, do some people look older than others? This is the question that scientists in the Netherlands have asked themselves… and to which they think they have found an answer. The culprit would be (among others) the MC1R gene. A new gene? Not really. Until then, it was known more for its role in determining skin color, hair (especially red hair) and body hair, but also DNA repair. A study from the Faculty of Medicine at Erasmus University Rotterdam has linked the MC1R gene to looking older than your age.
To arrive at these results, the researchers analyzed 2,693 natural faces, whose age was estimated by a jury and then compared to their real age. The researchers then looked at the participants' DNA to see if there was a common gene involved in people who looked older. It is therefore the MC1R, or rather its mutation, which would be responsible for the fact that some people look two years older. The results of this study, published in the medical journal Current Biology, were later confirmed by two other European studies.
It now remains for scientists to find how to act on this gene to slow down the aging phenomenon. In the meantime, keep in mind that epigenetics also plays a very important role:exposure to the sun and smoking are two factors that accelerate cellular aging.
