Acne sufferers may age slower, according to study

It might be cold comfort for those of you struggling with bad skin right now, but a new study has found that people with acne tend to have younger-looking skin as they grow older.

Scientists at King’s College London have found that people who have previously suffered from acne are likely to have longer telomeres (the protective repeated nucleotides found at the end of chromosomes) in their white blood cells, meaning their cells could be better protected against aging.

Telomeres are DNA-protecting structures at the ends of our chromosomes. Think of them like those little plastic caps that sit on the ends of your shoelaces to keep them from fraying. Each time a cell divides, its telomeres get shorter, to the point where the cell can’t replicate anymore.

Those who produce higher levels of an enzyme called telomerase will experience slower cell death and senescence, because it helps rebuild the length of telomeres after cell division. That means they’ll show less outwardly visible signs of progressive cell death, such as wrinkles and thinning skin.

If that telomerase sounds like something we should be bottling and bathing in, don’t worry, scientists are working on it.

The study, published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology measured the length of white blood cell telomeres in 1,205 twins from the TwinsUK cohort. A quarter of the twins reported having experienced acne in their lifetime.

Statistical analyses which adjusted for age, relatedness, weight and height showed that telomere length in acne sufferers was significantly longer, meaning that white blood cells were more protected from the usual deterioration with age. One of the genes involved in telomere length was also associated with acne in a replication sample from the UK Acne Genetic study, also lead by King’s scientists.

Dermatologists have long noted that the skin of acne sufferers appears to age more slowly than the skin of those with no history of acne. Signs of aging such as wrinkles and skin thinning often appear much later in people who have experienced acne in their lifetime. It has been suggested that this is due to increased oil production but there are likely to be other factors involved.

The researchers also examined gene expression in pre-existing skin biopsies from the same twins to identify possible gene pathways linked to acne. One gene pathway (the p53 pathway), which regulates programmed cell death, was found to be less expressed in acne sufferers’ skin. This requires further investigation to identify other genes involved in cell aging and how they differ in acne sufferers.

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This latest study appear to confirm what many doctors have observed over the years “For many years dermatologists have identified that the skin of acne sufferers appears to age more slowly than in those who have not experienced any acne in their lifetime” says Dr Low Chai Ling, founder of SW1 Clinic. Whilst this has been observed in clinical settings, the cause of this was previously unclear. This latest study may shed some light on the observations.

The findings suggest that the cause could be linked to the length of telomeres which appears to be different in acne sufferers and means their cells may be protected against aging. By looking at skin biopsies, scientists were able to begin to understand the gene expressions related to this. Further work is required to consider if certain gene pathways may provide a base for useful interventions.

According to the study, longer telomeres are likely to be one factor explaining the protection against premature skin aging in individuals who previously suffered from acne. Another important pathway, related to the p53 gene (a protector of the genome), is also relevant when we looked at gene expression in the skin of acne twins compared to twin controls.

But for those having a tough time with their skin right now, it’s nice to know that you might end up having the last laugh.