Top 10 Cities of 2012 Where Residents Appear Older Than They Really Are

IRVINE, Calif., July 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Patient's Guide, the leading online destination in beauty and skin care, released the top U.S. cities where the average population appears "older than they really are." To determine these rankings, The Patient's Guide conducted a study that pulled data from internal analytics (http://www.agespots.net), Google's Regional Interest, as well as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

"Up to 90 percent of the visible skin changes commonly attributed to aging are caused by the sun," says Dr. Eric Bernstein, distinguished practitioner and innovator in the field of dermatology and laser surgery. "Depending on where you live, you may need to adjust your skin care regimen's level of daily sunscreen and increase treatments such as non-ablative laser skin rejuvenation or citric acid peels to treat the five signs of skin aging."

People who live or work near to the equator, at higher altitudes, and in locations with many dry, sunny days have a higher risk of UV exposure, skin aging and even cancer. Listed below are the top ten U.S. cities whose residents struggle with physical signs of premature aging including sun spots and wrinkles.

(View infographic: http://www.agespots.net/oldest-cities/)

1. Los Angeles, CA
2. Miami, FL
3. St. Petersburg, FL
4. Phoenix, AZ
5. Houston, TX
6. San Francisco, CA
7. Orlando, FL
8. New Orleans, LA
9. Charleston, SC
10. Jersey City, NJ

Ironically, the leading cities in the study happen to be highly populated, metropolitan areas that are known for their emphasis on beauty and fashion. Jasson Gilmore, The Patient's Guide's CEO and co-founder said, "It comes as no surprise that most of the cities in the top ten for aging skin are in the southern portion of the US. The residents of these cities are fortunate to bask in the sun's rays most days of the year; however this comes at a high price. Risk of skin cancer and premature aging run high in these areas. This study should remind everyone to wear their sunscreen, especially during the summer when we are outdoors more." With proper protection from UV radiation, many forms of skin cancer and most premature aging of the skin can be avoided.

For further details on the study, please contact Brittney Roberts at [email protected]

About The Patient's Guide:

The Patient's Guide's mission is to provide the most accurate medical information to enable consumers to make educated decisions about aesthetic treatments. The Patient's Guide team includes leading physicians in the fields of laser and dermatology. These experts are the innovators in skin care and cosmetic dermatology technology breakthroughs, including hair removal, skin rejuvenation, fat reduction and cellulite treatment. Each month over one million visitors go to The Patient's Guide, a family of 25 web publications, each dedicated to a specific condition or treatment. For more information please visit www.patientsguide.com.

SOURCE The Patient’s Guide