mich wrote:I am confused about telomeres does it include skin cells?, does that mean that skin cells when made to turnover quickly via peels ect. will in the end actually speed up aging of the face?
Skin cells turn over more quickly when using retinoids like Retin-A or Tazorac, and I know it's been studied for decades, and people actually age more slowly when using it for years. I've read a few studies where they say they don't actually know the exact mechanism by which tretinoin, (Retin-A) actually makes skin cells shed faster, but it's been proven to create new collagen cells. Dr. Kligman supposedly discovered it in the late 60s, and it's been used for decades not just for acne but 'off label' for antiaging. I've used Retin-A for several years and Tazaroc and think it's why I don't have crows feet or forehead wrinkles yet (late 30s, yet I have cousins younger with more wrinkles) and overall clear skin most of the time. I don't know if Retin-a lengthens telomeres.
But the pill TA-65 with astragulus root is supposed to do that, which means all cells including skin; so telomeres will not shorten so soon and aging will be delayed. Some docs claim it can actually reverse some aging signs but there are not enough long term studies. The problem is what if in the long run it can cause cells to grow out of control which is also the controversy with using growth hormones..leading to possible cancer. So I don't know if this pill is good or if maybe it's ok short term or maybe long term they will find it doesn't cause cancer and may indeed delay the aging process. Resveratrol is supposed to do the same thing but most pills are not absorbed well or bioactive.
Quote from another article below:
"Florence Comite, a Manhattan endocrinologist and age-management specialist who dispenses TA-65, doesn't believe there's a connection. Within six months of taking TA-65, she stopped using her reading glasses; after two years, she thinks her skin is smoother. "I've seen it extend the length of patients' DNA," she says, "but there are no long-term studies." In one small study, TA-65 appeared to rewind aging in mice — regrowing their hair, thickening their skin — and patients have reported similar results. "As research accumulates, I see it becoming more accessible and mainstream," predicts Comite."
http://www.harpersbazaar...the-new-youth-pills-1011