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Guyuron believes stress may be a common denominator in the twins who looked older. But efforts to alleviate stress--by self-medicating with alcohol, for instance, or taking antidepressants--also have the effect of making people look more aged. The twins who had avoided alcohol looked significantly younger than those who hadn't, and those who had taken antidepressants looked appreciably more senior. What a cruel thing: if the misery of your divorce doesn't age you, your attempt to treat it with Prozac will. Guyuron and his colleagues believe the latter fact has something to do with the drooping relaxation of facial muscles that antidepressants can cause.
If the previous paragraph bummed you out, there's always the comfort of a Lucullan meal, and if you're over 40, at least, enjoying food could actually make you look more youthful. There is a God after all. So this summer at the beach, instead of getting a deep tan and a beer buzz, stay inside and have an ice cream. Make it a double scoop.