Clinical trial

Comparing Facial Aging Between Identical Twins With 3D Imaging

Opening soon · Not applicable · 1 countries · Registry ID NCT07760532

Opening soonNot applicableObservational

What this study is about

Identical twins share the same genes, which makes them a powerful way to study how lifestyle and environment - rather than genetics - affect how faces age. This study builds on a landmark 2009 twin study by using modern three-dimensional (3D) facial imaging, which measures facial shape and volume precisely instead of relying on regular photographs. The study will also look at whether use of GLP-1 weight-loss medications (such as semaglutide or tirzepatide), sometimes associated with facial changes informally called "Ozempic face," is related to measurable differences in facial aging. The study will enroll adult identical twin pairs attending the Twins Days Festival in Twinsburg, Ohio, in August 2026. Participation takes about 30 minutes and happens in a single visit at the festival study booth. Each twin will complete a questionnaire about lifestyle, environment, and medical history (such as sun exposure, smoking, sleep, and medication use) and have a 3D image of their face taken with a non-contact camera system. There is no treatment, no medication, no blood draw or biological sample, and no follow-up visit. Researchers will then compare facial measurements within each twin pair to learn which lifestyle and environmental factors are linked to visible facial aging.

A promising-looking record is not the same as confirmed eligibility. The study team must review the full criteria and current recruitment status.

Basic eligibility

Age18 Years to Not listed

SexAll

Healthy volunteersAccepted

ConditionFacial Skin Aging, Facial Volume Loss, Wrinkle Appearance

Full registry criteria

Inclusion Criteria: * Adults aged 18 years or older * Members of a monozygotic (identical) twin pair, with both twins present and willing to participate * Able to provide written informed consent in English Exclusion Criteria: * Age under 18 years * Inability or unwillingness to provide informed consent * Facial conditions or recent facial surgery that, in the investigator's judgment, would prevent standardized imaging * Pregnancy, by self-report Note: Zygosity is established by participant self-report, supported where available by prior DNA testing or physician confirmation. No genetic testing is performed and no biological specimens are collected. Pairs who self-report as dizygotic or are uncertain of their zygosity are recorded as such and analyzed separately from the confirmed monozygotic cohort.

Treatments and study arms

GLP-1 Receptor Agonists

Drug

Self-reported current or prior use of GLP-1 receptor agonist or other rapid weight-loss medication, recorded by participant questionnaire. No medication is administered, assigned, dispensed, or modified by the study; use is observed as a naturally occurring exposure. For the secondary objective, twin pairs discordant for self-reported GLP-1 receptor agonist use are compared with respect to midface and lower-face volume and contour.

Primary outcomes

Within-pair difference in quantitative three-dimensional facial surface measurementsDay 1 (single study visit; all data collected at enrollment)

Description: Volumetric and topographic facial measurements (facial volume and surface contour) derived from standardized 3D facial surface images, compared within each monozygotic twin pair. Within-pair differences are correlated with within-pair discordance in self-reported lifestyle, environmental, and medical exposures recorded by questionnaire.

Study locations

1 locations were listed when this page was built. The first 40 are shown.

Ponsky Facial Aesthetics and Plastic Surgery, LLC🇺🇸 Beachwood, Ohio, United States

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