Biological Age vs. Chronological Age

Biological age and chronological age seem like they would be the same thing, right? The concept of age involves so much more than the number of candles on your birthday cake. In the spirit of providing you with as much information as possible, Miami MD has a primer on what age means and how to choose skincare products that can help you age gracefully. 

Chronological Age

Chronological age is what we generally consider our actual age. This age represents the number of years that have passed since our birth. 

But age is more than a number. Have you ever seen two 60-year-olds standing side by side? Often, one of them will look far younger or far older. How does that work? What factors make two people of the same chronological age look entirely different? 

That’s where biological age comes in. 

Biological Age

Biological age is a lot more complex than chronological age. It represents many different factors, like health conditions, physiological markers, and various biomarkers. 

Biological age is variable, unlike chronological age. Both internal and external factors can impact it. One of the main goals of identifying your biological age is to predict the likelihood of developing chronic health conditions. Biological age looks at the speed at which your DNA and organs are aging. 

Also, unlike chronological age, biological age is something that we can significantly influence. 

Genetic Factors

It can be difficult to determine someone’s biological age, partially due to the role of genetics. It’s hard to predict which genetic factors you may have inherited, especially if you don’t know your birth parents. 

Genetics can play a positive and a negative role in your biological age. However, it’s estimated that genetics are only about 10 – 15% of the story. You aren’t destined to repeat your family history, but having that information at your disposal can be helpful. Still, you can decrease your biological age with or without your family history on hand. 

Environmental/Lifestyle Factors

What you eat, your stress level, where you live, and your lifestyle can all play a part in your biological age. 

Take diet, for example. Watching what you eat can help reduce your body’s oxidative stress. Caused by free radicals, oxidative stress can wreak havoc in the body if left unchecked. The more antioxidants that you can pack into your diet, the better off your body will be. 

Exercise is essential too, and not just for keeping your weight in check. Just 45 minutes, three times a week can help reduce your biological age. 

Finally, sleeping less than seven hours a night can work against you on a biological level. 

Biomarkers

The most significant component of your biological age is your biomarkers. Your biomarkers can be measured and tracked through a blood test that your doctor can order. 

Specifically, 40+ biomarkers can be tested, which are combined into one number representing your biological age. If your biological age is higher than your chronological age, those biomarkers are the key to helping reverse some issues that may be causing the discrepancy. 

The Epigenetic Clock

One critical biomarker is your level of DNA methylation. 

You’re likely already familiar with the concept of DNA. The DNA in your body makes up your genome, which is divided into gene sections that each represent a different protein.  

The entire system is controlled by a system known as your epigenome. It helps each cell know which proteins it needs to produce and which it can ignore. 

That process is known as DNA methylation, which leaves “tags” telling each cell which proteins to read. As we age, more of those tags are present, which biomarker bloodwork can measure. 

Biological Age And Health Conditions

Identifying your biological age can help predict which health conditions you may develop later in life. 

Chronological age is not always a reliable indicator for health issues like diabetes, dementia, osteoporosis, and organ diseases. Imagine being able to say that all people develop high blood pressure when they hit 45. It just doesn’t work like that. 

However, when you look at biological age, patterns become a lot more straightforward. Predictions based on biological age can also lead to more personalized medicine, which helps your doctor know how best to treat you.

Biological Age And The Skin

Biological age significantly impacts how quickly the skin ages. 

Our skin is going to age, no matter what we do. It’s a normal part of life, and even though we can temporarily slow the process, we can’t stop it.  

One of the main ways your skin ages is through natural collagen and elastin loss. Collagen and elastin are proteins that work together to form the skin’s support matrix. Although there is more collagen in the body than elastin, they both play an essential role in your skin’s youthful appearance.  

Unfortunately, both proteins degrade slowly over time. Around age 30, you begin to lose 1 to 2% of your collagen and elastin annually. This loss speeds up each passing year as the elastin becomes weaker, making it easier for both proteins to break due to a lack of flexibility. 

With less collagen and elastin in the skin, the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles can become far more visible. You’ll also notice looser skin, dark under-eye circles, and thinner skin. It’s important to maintain as much collagen and elastin as possible by slowing down its degradation and encouraging production.

How You Can Look Younger?

If you’ve been noticing that your skin is aging quicker than you’d like, what can you do about it? 

Developing a consistent skincare routine that works for you is a vital aspect of self-care. This is never more clear than when you’re trying to hold off visible signs of aging. 

When collagen and elastin degrade, your skin slowly becomes less firm and smooth. Once this change occurs, the only way to reverse the process is through plastic surgery. However, you can temporarily firm up the skin and help slow down aging by using supportive skincare products. 

Take our Advanced Crepe Fix, for instance. Using ingredients like ribose beauty sugar, fractionated coconut oil, and caprylyl glycol, this cream helps address thinning, creased, and crepey skin. It plumps, hydrates, and smoothes, and you can use it anywhere on the body. 

Our cream doesn’t work all on its own, though. You need to remove makeup and cleanse your skin first, so our cream can better penetrate beneath your skin. Using a daily SPF and moisturizer will work in tandem with our cream to help slow the physical signs of aging. Altogether, a proper skincare routine will make you less likely to develop clogged pores, dull skin, and fine lines.

In Summary

While you can’t do anything about your chronological age, your biological age is flexible. Knowing more about the causes of biological aging and how you can slow the process can support your physical health and the appearance of your skin.

If you’re looking for ways to help take years off your look, we want to support you. Miami MD has products that can target specific concerns, like crepey skin and dark spots, so that you can get back to aging gracefully. 

Sources:

Aging Genetics and Aging | PubMed (nih.gov)

First hint that body’s ‘biological age’ can be reversed | Nature Journal (nature.com)

Age-related collagen turnover of the interstitial matrix and basement membrane: Implications of age- and sex-dependent remodeling of the extracellular matrix | Plos (plos.org)