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Medical Video: Scientists Finally Explain Why Asians Look So Cute
"Asians are more youthful" is one that many people have long believed, especially in Western countries. Statistics show, Asian women can enjoy better health and longer life. Japan has more than 50,000 elderly people over 100 years old, for example, and China generally has a low breast cancer rate.
This is not only from the healthy diet they do. There are secrets from the body that can help Asian women look younger: physical and genetic characteristics.
The secret behind Asian skin color
Human skin color can vary from very pale to very dark. The color range comes from the number and type of skin pigment called melanin. There are two types of melanin - eumelanin and pheomelanin.
Like many other properties, the amount and type of pigment in your skin is controlled by genes. Each of these genes works together to create the final product - your skin color.
Most people who have white or very pale skin like those in caucasian races, or who we often know as "Caucasians", have more pheomelanin, which produces lighter skin tones. Whereas in many races in Asia, brown-skinned, it is more eumelanin.
In short, the more eumelanin on your skin, the darker your skin color will be. People who have more pheomelanin will have a more pale and speckled skin tone (freckles).
However, even though genetics plays a big role in determining one's skin tone, there are still many other external factors that are the cause of why skin color among fellow races can still vary from one another, one of which is sun exposure in each region.
Sunlight can be very dangerous due to the UV radiation it contains. UV radiation can destroy folic acid or cause mutations in DNA from a number of skin cells. Sometimes, this mutation can cause skin cancer.
Herein lies the advantage of having dark skin.
Why are darker skin healthier (and younger)
Dermatologists classify skin types based on color, type I is the most pale to type VI is the darkest skin color.
"People in type four or more, have more melanin in their skin that protects them from the sun," said dermatologist Monica Halem, MD, from Columbia University, quoted from webmd.com. An African type VI black ethnic, for example, does not feel the effects of aging from the sun as much as Caucasians in general are light-skinned blond, aka type one.
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a major environmental factor that affects the function and survival of various types of cells, and is considered to be a major factor in skin cancer such as base cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and malignant melanoma. Pigmentation on the skin is believed to protect against this adverse effect, because melanin has antioxidant properties and antidotes to free radicals. Many research evidence shows that people with darker skin have a far lower incidence of skin cancer compared to white people.
Collagen also plays a role in fighting premature aging. While melanin absorbs UV radiation and protects the skin from the inside, collagen is a molecule that forms skin tissue that acts to protect against disease and injury. The thicker the skin and the more melanin it contains, the better the protection of the aging process, including the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. Therefore, people who have darker skin often look younger than pale-skinned people.
Even so, dark skinned people are not fully guaranteed from sun damage. Therefore, it is important to always use a moisturizer rich in vitamins E and C, and a SPF-30 minimum sunscreen every time you go outdoors, even for those with dark skin.
The fat on the faces of Asians is also influential
Some experts believe that the face shape of Asian people also has a role in highlighting the 'superiority' of youth, because the location of fat on the face is different than other races. For example, Asian races have more fat around the eyes that prevents wrinkles in this area longer than other races. Facial fat in some other areas such as around the mouth also influences why Asian women can look young. Pads of fat around the mouth inhibit the formation of wrinkles, so they appear smoother than other races.
In addition, the anatomy and facial features of Asians, smaller eyes, thin lips, higher cheekbones, and short foreheads are believed by some experts to make the appearance of Asian women appear a few years younger.
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