At times, it can feel like we are at war with our skin. You want clear and radiant skin for a big event, but your skin delivers a blemish the size of a football on your chin. You finally find a skincare routine that tackles your hyperpigmentation effectively, only to catch sight of yourself in the mirror, and realise that your skin has embraced the full effects of gravity. It’s a quiet, ongoing battle so many of us know well. And it seems as though the other side has just introduced its deadliest sounding weapon: zombie cells.
What might sound like something straight out of a horror film is, in fact, the name given to cells that have stopped dividing thanks to stress or damage. These cells should, at this point, die, but they don’t, hence the ‘zombie’ moniker. Zombie cells, or senescent cells to use their proper name, occur throughout your body and are often linked to the longevity conversation. Instead of dying, they lie dormant, but they are by no means idle. When they accumalate they send out inflammatory signals, which contribute to age-related diseases, increased inflammation and accelerated ageing.
So what does this mean for our skin? Can we intervene and prevent ‘zombie cells’ from entering the combat, or are we fighting a losing battle? We asked some of the UK’s leading dermatologists for answers.
What are zombie cells?
Zombie, or senescent cells, are cells that stopped dividing, but don’t die when they should. “They hang around in the skin in a sort of half-alive, dysfunctional state,” says Maxwell Stock, CEO and founder of Epicutis. This clinically grounded skincare brand focuses on long-term skin health, barrier integrity and longevity.
The formation of senescent cells is considered a natural response to cellular stress and part of the ageing process. “Senescent cells form when cells experience significant stress or damage, such as DNA injury from UV exposure, pollution, radiation, metabolic stress, or simply repeated cell division over time,” Consultant Dermatologist Dr Derrick Phillips explains. “In response, the cell switches into a protective mode and permanently stops dividing. When these cells accumulate, they release inflammatory signals and enzymes that break down collagen and elastin. This weakens the skin’s structural framework and interferes with normal repair processes.” He says that over time, this contributes to inflammaging—a state of chronic, low-level inflammation.
Zombie cells hang around in the skin in a sort of half-alive, dysfunctional state.
What are their effects on the skin?
So how does our skin react? “This can accelerate visible signs of ageing, including fine lines, loss of firmness, sagging and a thinner, more fragile texture,” Dr Phillips says. “The persistent inflammation they generate can also contribute to dullness and increased skin sensitivity.”
Whilst the formation of these cells is, to a degree, expected, “the problem comes from the chronic accumulation,” says Aesthetic Doctor, Dr Sophie Shotter. That’s when the zombie cells “release SASP (senescence-associated secretory phenotype) signals that can damage the local environment. Nearby cells then become less functional, and more cells can be pushed toward senescence. Over time, you see thinner/less resilient skin, more collagen fragmentation, more barrier vulnerability, and slower recovery from stress and procedures.” It’s not going to be an overnight dramatic change, says Stock. This is more about a gradual decline in how well the skin functions.
Dr Dev Patel, aesthetic doctor and founder of Perfect Skin Solutions, explains why it’s not just the skin on our faces that’s affected: “In the scalp, that inflammatory environment may impair follicle function and regeneration, which is why senescence is increasingly being explored as one of the contributors to hair thinning and age-related hair loss.”
Do senescent cells contribute to specific skin concerns?
There is growing evidence linking zombie cells to several skin conditions, like hyperpigmentation and wound healing. “Because they promote chronic inflammation,” says Stock. “They can also worsen existing skin conditions. What’s important to understand is that senescence isn’t just a sign of ageing, it actively drives inflammation which is the underlying cause of everything you see on your skin.”
How do we treat zombie cells? Can senescence be reversed?
“At the moment, we cannot reliably reverse cellular senescence in human skin,” says Dr Phillips. “Most of the evidence comes from laboratory and early-stage research rather than large clinical trials in people.”
The most routine and recognised way of dealing with zombie cells is prevention and load reduction. This can be done by changing lifestyle habits—getting better sleep, exercising more—to decrease inflammation. Skincare plays a key role, too. Shotter explains that “daily high-protection sunscreen is the biggest anti-senescence move for skin because UV is a top trigger”. She also recommends using retinoids for collagen signalling support and skin renewal, as well as barrier-boosting skincare. Phillips recommends using antioxidants, such as vitamin C, to help reduce oxidative stress. He also says that in clinic, treatments involving certain energy-based devices, like lasers, help to stimulate collagen production, support healthier cell turnover and reduce inflammation. This will help to “counteract some of the visible effects associated with senescent cell accumulation”.
When it comes to our scalps, Dr Patel says that hair loss is rarely caused by a single thing—genetics and hormones remain the leading contributors. However, it isn’t that simple. “Inflammation around the follicle, poor scalp health, oxidative stress, nutritional deficiencies, hormonal shifts, chronic stress and the natural ageing process all influence how well hair grows and how long it stays in its growth phase. The most effective approach is therefore multifactorial: nurturing a healthy scalp environment, calming inflammation where possible, supporting the body with the right nutrients, and intervening early—before follicles become significantly miniaturised and harder to recover.”
According to Shotter, there are two other strategies for the treatment of zombie cells: senomorphics and senolytics. “Senomorphics calm the SASP without killing the cell, she says “These aim to reduce the inflammatory secretions and downstream damage. In skincare, lots of products claim this, but high-quality human clinical proof varies widely by ingredient. Senolytics remove senescent cells. These drugs selectively push senescent cells to die. This is an active medical research area and is mostly systemic. It’s not routine in skincare yet.”
How important is senescence research in today’s skincare development?
According to Shotter and Stock, we are in the early stages of a very exciting time in skincare, with Shotter calling it a “key area in skin longevity research”.
Stock goes on to say that senescence research is transforming our approach to anti-ageing: “Instead of just treating wrinkles or pigmentation, the focus is on the root causes of ageing and cellular health. By targeting senescent cells, reducing their harmful signals, and protecting healthy neighbours, scientists are guiding the development of more effective, biology-driven skincare.”