We know that hormonal changes affect all of us – not just women – as we age. But what many people don’t realize is how we are, to a certain extent, in control of them. Our actions cause their reactions.

A new study, which will be published in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, helps make the point, even if the folks who put it together don’t realize it yet.

A team of researchers led by Dr. Bahman Guyron, a plastic surgeon from the Cleveland area, looked at the effects of lifestyle on aging in a novel way. They visited the annual “Twin Days” festival in (where else?) Twinsburg, Ohio, and began photographing twins and asking questions about their lifestyles.

They found that in many cases, one twin looked younger than the other. Usually, a twin who smoked or spent more time in the sun aged more rapidly.

All of the twins in this survey were women, but the larger point – the one the study didn’t touch on – impacts all of us: As we age, our bodies rely on hormones to step in and repair the damage we do to ourselves. When you smoke or put on weight, those hormones start working overtime to fix you up.

And that works, for a little while.

But if you keep up that demand on your hormones, they stop working right. Like a factory where everyone’s always working double and triple shifts without getting a break, eventually the workers stop showing up. Hormone production tails off, your body stops repairing itself, and your lifestyle catches up to you.

In fact, in my experience, hormone depletion is the number one cause of premature aging. I spend a great deal of time at my clinic in Montana helping patients correct the hormonal deficiencies that are literally causing them to fall apart.

So remember: Everything you do to your body today comes with a price you’ll have to pay later on – and it comes back with interest due.

Fast living leads to faster aging, so slow down a little and treat your body well. You’ll find yourself being paid back in the end.

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