HOW THE PANDEMIC HAS AGED US ALL
SUB-PAR SKIN DURING LOCKDOWN OFFERS A WINDOW INTO HEALTH OF OUR BODIES
Do you look in the mirror and feel dismayed that you appear to have aged dramatically since March? If so, you are not alone.
An estimated six million in Britain believe that lockdown has visibly taken its toll and we look “at least” five years older, according to research commissioned by United Kingdom- based cosmetic treatment firm Uvence.
There is, of course, a good- humoured consensus most of us have gained weight while the gyms were shut and a few extra grey hairs because salons remained shuttered for so long.
But it’s downright alarming to notice dark circles around your eyes all of a sudden, along with dry skin or breakouts, puffiness and niggling aches in joints that never used to cause problems.
That might explain why bookings at one leading London cosmetic clinic are up 100 per cent on this time last year. But is a quick fix the answer?
In truth, the sub- par appearance of our lockdown skin offers a window into the health of our body — and our state of mind.
“We all know what tired, fatigued, sagging skin looks like and we associate that with being old,” says Mark Birch- Machin, professor of molecular dermatology at the National Innovation Centre for Ageing at Newcastle University.
“Your skin is like the tip of an iceberg. Just 10 per cent is what you see is on the surface; it’s what lies beneath that’s really important.
“The good news is that it’s temporary. Skin has a tremendous ability to bounce back and renew itself if you do the right things like eat a better diet, and those measures will vastly improve your overall health and banish the perception that you have prematurely aged.”
It stands to reason that the stresses, strains and uncertainties of the pandemic have taken their toll.
From the comfort snacks we’ve been eating to the simple human interactions we miss, corona fears to employment worries, almost every aspect of COVID-19 life has impacted our mental and physical well-being.
A recent King’s College London and Ipsos MORI survey of 2,254 people has revealed that 48 per cent of respondents say they have put on weight during lockdown.
The same percentage report feeling more anxious or depressed than usual, and 29 per cent say they have drunk more alcohol. Aside from the empty calories and late-night urges to snack, alcohol dehydrates our bodies, including the skin, and can also cause our faces to look bloated and puffy.
Yet opening a bottle of wine to ease the tensions of the day, or pouring a stiff drink to self- medicate feelings of isolation has quickly become a habit since March.
Lockdown loneliness has been identified as a real issue with potentially severe consequences.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics have shown that younger people aged 16 to 24 were 50.8 per cent more likely to have experienced it as those aged 55 to 69, 24.1 per cent of whom reported feeling lonelier.
“We get so much from our face- to- face social relationships, not just pleasure but reassurance, affirmation and information,” says Robin Hewings, director of policy and research at the Campaign to End Loneliness.
“The loss of those connections can feel devastating and that has a knock- on effect on our mental health and self-esteem.”
The effect of loneliness on our health is downright shocking; it is comparable to risk factors such as obesity and smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
Isolation increases the likelihood of a range of diseases, including dementia, and places sufferers at a 26 per cent risk of early death.
“It’s easy to look after yourself when you feel a valued member of a community or social network, but if you are depressed and have lost your confidence then it’s far harder to invest in your own well- being,” Hewings says.
“You start to think negatively and judgmentally about yourself and others, which lowers your mood and your immune system.”
There is increasing evidence that when it comes to our well- being, the physical and the psychological are in linked extricably.
Aging experts say our aim should be to age in a positive way, which means remaining healthy and disease- free for as long as we can.
“The things we associate with growing older such as frailty or dementia are by no means a given,” says Dr. Richard Siow, director of Aging Research at King’s ( College London).
“Someone can be in their 70s and have a biological age that is decades younger because they have been proactive about maintaining their body mass, muscle tone and brainpower.”
The medical profession is turning to the use of “biological age” as a gauge for well- being, which can provide a focus for patients and an incentive to improve.
“The things that keep us in good physiological health are the same boring four tenets — being as active as possible, eating a balanced diet, not smoking, and drinking in moderation,” says Stephen Harridge, professor of human and applied physiology at King’s.