For years, skin aging was viewed mainly in aesthetic terms, as a problem whose symptoms could be concealed with a cream. Modern longevity science, however, is completely changing this paradigm. Our appearance, and especially the condition of facial skin, is proving to be a sensitive systemic window through which we can look inside the body and assess the pace at which internal organs are aging. The beauty industry is changing along with this shift. Instead of merely masking signs of aging, it is increasingly focused on identifying substances and therapies that target the biological mechanisms of aging within the skin.
I speak with Dr. habil. Ewelina Pośpiech, Professor at Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, a geneticist and expert in epigenetic aging, about forensic age estimation from DNA, revolutionary epigenetic clocks, the concept of skin longevity, and what our face can reveal about the condition of the entire body. Dr. habil. Pośpiech is among the top 2% most cited scientists in the world and will be one of the speakers at the upcoming ELEVATE Health & Longevity Summit.
Michał Wieczorek: Your scientific career began in a very intriguing area, with forensic research. How did you move from tracking criminals to studying aging and longevity? What connects these two worlds?
Dr. habil. Ewelina Pośpiech: The connection is much more natural than it may seem. In forensic genetics, I worked on what is known as forensic DNA phenotyping, an innovative field aimed at maximizing the information that can be obtained from biological material left at a crime scene. In cases where biological material such as blood or saliva was secured, but the perpetrator’s DNA profile was not present in police databases and there were no identified suspects whose DNA could be compared, standard identification methods often failed and the investigation reached a dead end. Thanks to genetic prediction models developed in part by our team, we learned how to predict physical characteristics from DNA, including eye, hair, and skin color, hair type, and predispositions to hair loss and graying.
The real breakthrough, however, was the ability to estimate age from DNA. In forensic science, knowing that a wanted individual is approximately 25 years old, for example, can dramatically narrow the pool of suspects. At the same time, we began to notice that the age estimated from DNA did not always match chronological age. In some cases, the differences were large enough to raise questions about their biological significance. Today, we know that such discrepancies may reflect the pace of biological aging and may be associated with an increased risk of many age related diseases. That was when my interests naturally began to shift toward the relationship between genes, the environment, and lifestyle, in other words, toward the epigenetics of aging.
A key term that appears constantly in modern longevity medicine is “epigenetic clocks.” What exactly are these tools, and why can they tell us more about our health than a calendar can?
An epigenetic clock is an advanced mathematical tool that translates information recorded in DNA into an assessment of the body’s age. A major breakthrough in longevity research was the discovery that aging is accompanied by specific and measurable changes in DNA methylation. This is a chemical modification of DNA that affects gene activity without altering the genetic sequence itself. You could say that the genome is the text of a book that remains unchanged throughout life, while epigenetics acts as bookmarks and notes in the margins, indicating which chapters should be read and which should remain silent. Over time, the pattern of these markings changes, leaving a record of the aging process in the DNA.
The concept of an epigenetic clock emerged in 2011. The first generations of these models were designed primarily to predict chronological age with precision. Later generations were developed in a much more advanced way. They were trained not only on chronological age, but also on markers of health, disease, and aging processes. As a result, modern epigenetic clocks do more than read the body’s biological date of birth. They can also estimate biological age and the pace of aging.
What is especially fascinating is that the latest tools can now provide far more detailed information from a small blood sample. We can estimate the biological age of different systems and organs, including the brain, cardiovascular system, and metabolic system, and also assess the severity of inflammatory processes. This makes it possible to identify parts of the body that are aging faster than others and may require lifestyle changes or targeted medical intervention.
You mentioned a revolution in the way we think about appearance, known as skin longevity. For decades, aesthetic medicine focused on masking wrinkles. Why is measuring the biological age of facial skin now becoming so important for overall health?
The skin longevity approach means that skin is no longer viewed merely as the body’s “packaging.” It has become a genuine diagnostic window into what is happening inside the body. It is the largest human organ and is highly vascularized, richly innervated, and metabolically active. As the first line of defense, it is constantly exposed to environmental factors and quickly reflects their effects on the body. The skin longevity strategy moves away from superficially masking symptoms and toward addressing underlying causes and systemic processes.
The molecular processes we try to counteract in the skin, including chronic inflammation, or inflammaging, oxidative stress, and the accumulation of senescent cells, are the same processes that accelerate the aging of internal organs and increase the risk of many lifestyle related diseases. Skin often reveals their presence earlier than other tissues, becoming a kind of barometer of the body’s overall condition.
What is more, we no longer need to draw blood to study these processes. With a painless and noninvasive method known as tape stripping, which involves gently collecting epidermal cells with a special adhesive strip, we can isolate biological material and determine the epigenetic age of the skin itself. This method is not only comfortable for the patient, but also makes it easier to monitor changes over time, enabling more frequent testing and assessment of the effectiveness of different interventions.
If our skin and cells collect all these signals, what harms them the most? Which environmental factors accelerate this epigenetic aging clock most strongly, and what can genuinely turn it back?
The single most important factor accelerating skin aging is excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation. I recently came across a sentence that captures the issue perfectly: “our cells remember every hour spent in the sun.” UV radiation causes what is known as photoaging by damaging skin cells and contributing to deep wrinkles, loss of elasticity, and discoloration.
The second particularly harmful factor, which is also confirmed by my population studies, is cigarette smoking. It is one of the strongest drivers of accelerated epigenetic aging. We also observed a clear dose dependent effect. The more cigarettes a person smoked, the faster both the skin and the epigenome aged. However, there is also good news. People who quit smoking had clearly better epigenetic parameters and better skin condition than those who continued smoking. This shows that biological age is highly adaptable. It can change in a favorable direction as a result of our decisions and lifestyle.
Among the factors that most effectively support healthy aging at the molecular level are a diet rich in vegetables and regular physical activity. At first, we were concerned that in people who exercised outdoors, the negative effects of UV radiation might weaken the benefits of physical activity. The results, however, were clear. People who exercised regularly had a younger epigenetic age and healthier tissues. Movement therefore not only protects the body, but also supports regeneration and healthy aging.
To reach such strong conclusions, you must have carried out a tremendous amount of research. I know you completed a pioneering, long term project involving the Polish population. What did the study look like behind the scenes?
Indeed, between 2018 and 2023, as a consortium of several scientific institutions in Poland, we conducted the first study of this scale and complexity on biological aging in the country. The EPIGENOM project, funded by the National Centre for Research and Development, included more than 1,000 Polish participants. It was an extremely demanding undertaking, made even more challenging by the fact that it was carried out during the pandemic.
We collected highly detailed information from each participant about lifestyle, habits, and medical history. We also performed advanced 3D facial scans and worked with dermatologists who assessed skin aging related features. The goal was to connect the dots and understand how lifestyle, external appearance, and epigenetic profile interact. This allowed us to identify more precisely which lifestyle factors accelerate biological aging and which support better physical condition and a younger biological age.
We are now taking the next step by conducting intervention studies. In the OPUS Omega project, funded by the National Science Centre under grant number 2024/53/B/NZ7/02257, we are introducing specific dietary protocols, physical activity, and supplementation in people with metabolic syndrome, and then monitoring their effects over time. We are particularly interested in the possibility of slowing aging by modulating chronic inflammation, one of the key mechanisms driving biological aging and the development of many age related diseases.
To comprehensively assess the body’s response to these interventions, we analyze a broad panel of aging markers, including changes in the epigenome, biological age measured with epigenetic clocks, proinflammatory and antiinflammatory cytokine profiles, the microbiome, and skin samples that allow us to evaluate skin condition and the pace of aging. This enables us to observe how different interventions affect various aspects of the biology of aging and which produce the greatest benefits. Our goal is to build a scientific foundation for personalized longevity programs tailored to each person’s individual needs and biological profile.
Thank you for the conversation, Ewelina. See you at ELEVATE.
See you there!
