Moles keep ageing at bay

People with moles are less prone to ageing, according to new research, with fewer wrinkles, stronger bones and tauter muscles…

British scientists have discovered that people with lots of moles are genetically protected from many of the ravages of time and are less prone to ageing.

New research suggests they may not only develop fewer wrinkles in old age, but also have stronger bones and tauter muscles.

Moles or beauty spots - for which supermodel Cindy Crawford is famous - are formed by rapidly dividing cells that start producing dots of dark pigment on children as young as four, but which usually vanish from about the age of 40.

In some people, however, they continue to spread as they grow older, producing a smooth and wrinkle-free complexion that can make a woman look at least seven years younger than her real age.

A study of 1200 identical and non-identical female twins, aged 18-79, by a team at King’s College London, showed that those with more than 100 moles on their bodies also have tougher bones and are therefore 50 per cent less likely to develop osteoporosis than women with fewer than 25 moles.

Other suspected benefits include tauter muscles and healthier eyes and heart. These far outweigh the risk of skin cancer linked to the presence of moles, which can develop into malignant melanoma following over-exposure to sunlight.

‘Until recently, everyone had ignored moles,’ said genetics expert Professor Tim Spector. ‘Most people start losing them at 40 but we now know people who don’t age and are baby-faced at 60 are likely to have lots of them.’

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