There is a huge commercial market for fighting the fine lines and wrinkles that appear in our skin as we age.
Everywhere we see advertisements for anti-wrinkle treatments and rejuvenating skin care, which may have contributed to the impression that wrinkles are only a cosmetic problem.
However, in recent years, several studies have pointed to a link between skin aging and our overall health and longevity.
And a group of aging researchers has now put forward a startling theory, in which wrinkles are not only a consequence of the aging process, but also its cause.
That writes the science magazine New Scientist.