RNA-seq profiling of epidermal tissues of visually younger and older women in the Youngster-Oldie (Y-O) study

Skin, with its distinctive features and visible signs of aging, provides a remarkable model for studying the aging process. The variable rate of skin aging among individuals provides a valuable opportunity to capture a wide range of age-related changes. In this study, we used bulk RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to explore the diverse skin characteristics of individuals with both older and younger appearances. We examined samples from 25 women aged 41-51 years who appeared visually at least 5 years younger (n = 10 females) or older (n = 15 females) than their chronological age. Both groups of the Y-O study were similar in chronological age (Youngsters = 45.30 ± 2.11 years, Oldies = 46.40 ± 3.00 years), but different in expert-rated visual facial age (Youngsters = 40.24 ± 2.61 years, Oldies = 58.16 ± 5.39 years).