Video by drwendyaesthetics

Anna Kendrick just turned 40. Are you turning 40? I am, yeah. And if that surprises you, it's probably because we associate certain facial features with age. But in medicine, age alone tells me nothing. As a cosmetic doctor, I still hear things like, I'm 30. What should I be doing? I'm 40. Is it time to start this treatment? But chronological age and

biological age are two very different things. Chronological age is simply the number of years you've been alive. Biological age is a fluid measure of how fast your internal engine is that is influenced by two major forces, genetics and lifestyle. Genetics determine your baseline, things like bone structure, natural collagen production, and fat distribution patterns.

But lifestyle influences the rate, sun exposure, sleep, smoking, alcohol, stress, hormones, nutrition. Your chronological age doesn't tell me any of these things. With many treatment, decisions should be based on what's happening structurally and functionally, not which decade you're in. So remember, age is just a number, not a diagnosis.