Holding back the years: Madonna can expect her recent divorce from Guy Ritchie to add two years to her appearance

If you've been through it, this will probably come as no surprise. Divorce can add years to a person's face, it is claimed.

Researchers found that marriage breakdown can take a significant toll on appearance.

They looked at identical twins, who would be genetically predisposed to age at a similar pace, to determine whether certain experiences affected ageing.

'A person's heritage may initially dictate how they age but if you introduce certain factors into your life, you will certainly age faster, and likewise, if you avoid those factors you can slow down the hands of time,' said Professor Bahaman Guyuron, who led the study.

Professor Guyuron and his colleagues gathered information from questionnaires and digital images taken from 186 pairs of twins.

An independent panel of judges then viewed the images for perceived age differences between the siblings.

The results showed that the twin who had gone through a divorce appeared two years older than the one who was married, single or had been widowed.

Those who took antidepressants or were overweight also aged quicker.

It is thought antidepressants can calm the facial muscles, causing them to sag in longterm users.

The research was conducted by the Case Western Reserve University in the U.S., and published in the Journal Of The American Society Of Plastic Surgeons.

Sun exposure, smoking and alcohol use were all found to have a negative effect on appearance.