Travel May Slow Down the Signs of Aging, Study Says

We all know going on a vacation could be fun, but did you know that it could also slow down the aging process? A recent study from Edith Cowan University in Australia says travel may have positive health benefits and could defy premature aging. The researchers applied the theory of entropy to explain how going on vacations affects health. 

What is entropy and how does it relate to travel?

Entropy refers to the measure of disorder and chaos in a system. One classic example is the state of your room. A tidy, neat, and organized bedroom has low entropy. If you, however, leave it be, chaos or disorder creeps in, with dust on the wall, clothes on the floor, and mess everywhere, causing entropy to increase.  

According to the study, the entropy perspective suggests that travel or tourism could trigger changes in entropy. Positive travel experiences might boost health and reduce entropy increase, while negative experiences may harm health, increase aging, and contribute to entropy increase. 

How travel can contribute to healthy aging

ECU PhD candidate Ms. Fangli Hu, who is also the study’s lead author and researcher, noted that positive travel experiences could improve a person’s physical and mental wellness through:

• Exposure to new/novel environments
• Engagement in physical activities
• Social interaction
• Fostering of positive emotions

The said potential benefits, according to an article from Science Daily, have been acknowledged through practices such as health, wellness, and yoga tourism. Ms. Hu also said, “Tourism isn’t just about leisure and recreation; it could also contribute to people’s physical and mental health.”

For further reading:Women and Skin Aging: Why Some Age Faster Than Others

Travel, stress, and slowing down aging 

According to the research, new settings or environments can “stimulate stress responses and elevate metabolic rates, positively influencing metabolic activities, and the body’s self-organizing capabilities”. Ms. Hu noted that while stimulating stress sounds like a bad idea, it can improve the body’s ability to perceive and defend itself against external threats.

“Put simply, the self-defense system becomes more resilient. Hormones conducive to tissue repair and regeneration may be released and promote the self-healing system’s functioning,” Ms. Hu explained. 

Travel may help:

• Alleviate chronic stress
• Ease tension and fatigue in the muscles and joints
• Increase “the anti-wear-and-tear system’s” effectiveness

It is also worth noting that travel can involve physical activities such as walking, hiking, climbing, and cycling. Engaging in these activities could benefit health by boosting metabolism and enhancing the body’s immune function and self-defense capabilities. 

For further reading:A New Study Reveals How Much Sleep You Need for Successful Aging

On the other hand, the researchers noted that travelers could face “challenges such as infectious diseases, accidents, injuries, violence, water and food safety issues, and concerns related to inappropriate tourism engagement”. Negative travel experiences could also potentially lead to health problems, promoting entropy increase. 

How Cutis can help with skin aging

We at Cutis support traveling too. If you, however, have aging concerns that are making you self-conscious, we have several non-surgical aesthetic treatments in Singapore that can improve the most common signs. Whether you’re worried about wrinkles, skin laxity, pigmentation, or dullness, we can help.

Below are a few of the treatments that can promote a more refreshed, energized, and youthful complexion. 

• Botulinum toxin (onabotulinumtoxinA) – is an anti-wrinkle injectable that is US FDA-approved for four areas: forehead lines, frown lines, crow’s feet lines, and (recently) platysma bands (vertical lines in front of the neck).
• Microfocused Ultrasound with Visualization (MFU-V) – is US FDA-cleared for non-invasive skin lifting and tightening. It can be used on the face, brows or eye area, jawline, neck, décolletage, and the upper chest.
• Hyaluronic acid microdroplet injectable – is US FDA-approved for improving skin smoothness of the cheeks. It is designed to deeply hydrate the skin and give you a youthful glow that lasts for months without changing your natural features.
• Secret DUO – is a US FDA-approved treatment that combines radiofrequency (RF) microneedling and 1540 Erbium Glass Laser. It can stimulate collagen, gently resurface the skin, and help with reducing wrinkles, scarring, enlarged pores, and dark spots. It can also firm and tighten the skin.
• Pico Laser – uses a picosecond laser system to improve/reduce epidermal lesions, age spots, freckles, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. It breaks down pigments and ink colors, and features a fractional system device (HEXA MLA) for acne scarring and skin rejuvenation. 

Book a consultation today

Want to learn more about our non-surgical aesthetic treatments and how we can help achieve your skincare goals? Contact Cutis Medical Laser Clinics today and schedule a consultation with one of our aesthetic doctors in Singapore. 

Sources:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/09/240905121025.htm

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/00472875241269892?journalCode=jtrb

https://www.southernliving.com/travel-aging-study-edith-cowan-university-8719604

https://fs.blog/entropy/