An observational study in Facial Skin Aging, Facial Volume Loss and Wrinkle Appearance, sponsored by Ponsky Facial Aesthetics And Plastic Surgery, Llc. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-08-12.
Sponsored by Ponsky Facial Aesthetics And Plastic Surgery, Llc · Observational
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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.
This is a prospective, observational, single-site study conducted at the Twins Days Festival, Twinsburg, Ohio (August 8-9, 2026). The design revisits the 2009 identical-twin facial aging study of Guyuron and colleagues with two methodological advances: replacement of standardized two-dimensional photography with three-dimensional facial surface imaging, permitting objective quantitative measurement of volumetric and topographic facial differences, and inclusion of GLP-1 receptor agonist and other rapid weight-loss medication exposure as a facial-aging variable that did not exist as a widespread exposure at the time of the original study.
Participation is completed in a single session. After eligibility screening and written informed consent, each twin independently completes a structured questionnaire covering demographic, lifestyle, environmental, and medical-history domains, and undergoes standardized 3D facial surface imaging using a non-contact, non-ionizing optical system (approximately 1-2 minutes per participant). A staff member records Fitzpatrick skin type by brief visual assessment. No intervention is administered, no biological specimens are collected, no genetic testing is performed, and no individual results are returned. Zygosity is established by participant self-report, supported where available by prior DNA testing or physician confirmation; self-reported dizygotic or zygosity-uncertain pairs are recorded as such and analyzed separately from the confirmed monozygotic cohort.
All data are recorded against coded participant identifiers. Because each monozygotic pair serves as its own genetic control, the primary analysis is of within-pair differences in quantitative 3D facial measurements, correlated with discordance in self-reported exposures. 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. All measurement, extraction, and analysis of study data are performed by the study team on coded data.
This is the only study on the registry with Ponsky Facial Aesthetics And Plastic Surgery, Llc as lead sponsor.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Adult twin pairs attending the Twins Days Festival in Twinsburg, Ohio (August 8-9, 2026), the largest annual gathering of twins in the world. Participants are recruited on-site through a study booth and printed festival materials, and in advance through a study information page on the practice website. Anticipated enrollment is approximately 50 to 100 twin pairs (up to approximately 200 individual participants).
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
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.
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Adult (18+) twin pairs attending the Twins Days Festival, Twinsburg, Ohio, with both members present and consenting. Each participant completes a lifestyle and medical-history questionnaire and undergoes standardized three-dimensional facial surface imaging in a single session. Zygosity is established by self-report; pairs self-reporting as dizygotic or unsure are recorded as such and analyzed separately from the confirmed monozygotic cohort.
Drug: GLP-1 Receptor Agonists
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.
Also known as: Semaglutide, Tirzepatide, Ozempic
This study also gives Semaglutide, Tirzepatide. No intervention listed here names it: that was found by reading the record.
Within-pair difference in quantitative three-dimensional facial surface measurements
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.
Time frame: Day 1 (single study visit; all data collected at enrollment)
Within-pair difference in midface and lower-face volume and contour among twin pairs discordant for GLP-1 receptor agonist use
Midface and lower-face volume and contour measurements derived from standardized 3D facial surface images, compared within monozygotic twin pairs in which one twin reports current or prior GLP-1 receptor agonist use and the other does not.
Time frame: Day 1 (single study visit; all data collected at enrollment)
Plan to share: No — "Individual participant data will not be shared with other researchers, consistent with the informed consent, which states that coded study data and images are not used or distributed for research beyond this study."
Start is estimated for Aug 2026; primary completion for Sep 2026, 1 month later.
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This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Aug 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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