Here Are 9 Ways Smoking Damages Your Skin

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when somebody says about the effects of smoking on your skin? Many would say that wrinkles are one of them. Collagen and elastin are damaged because of the toxins in cigarette smoke. Collagen and elastin are the components of our skin that makes it firmer and supple. Smokers are more prone to wrinkles on their face and body and it also speeds up aging.

Smoker’s lives are at risk and cigarette smoke also damages the skin in many ways and it affects our looks.

●Premature Aging of Facial Skin.
When you purse your lips to draw on a cigarette over and over again, wrinkles around the mouth occurs. This is called “Smoker’s lines”. Wrinkles that developed on our outer edges of the eyes is called crow’s feet. If you smoke, this damages usually starts much earlier than it supposed to be compared to the other people who get crow’s feet as they age.

Collagen and elastin if damage, plays a big role in why the skin age prematurely. If you do vascular constriction like by smoking, constricted blood vessels inhibiting blood flow and oxygen from reaching skin cells promotes skin aging as well.

●Sagging skin
Sagging of our skin in other parts of our body is also smoking-related. Particularly our breasts and upper arms are the most affected by the reduced skin elasticity caused by smoking.

●Skin Cancer
Do you know about squamous cell carcinoma or SCC? It is the most common form of skin cancer and often appears on the lips of smokers. Smoking can increase your chances of having this type of skin cancer for as much as fifty-two percent higher than the people who don’t smoke.

Based on research, if you are smoking, your immune system lowers because of the toxins that cigarette smoke can bring you. It increased risks for you to have this kind of sickness.

The factor for the most common cause of skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma in smoking is not known by everyone.

●Psoriasis
Stress can bring on this type of sickness but smoking is also a risk factor. Psoriasis is a skin condition that can make your skin itchy and red scaly patches. The Nicotine in cigarettes is the culprit that the doctors think is the cause of this disease. This substance can affect the immune system, skin cell growth, and skin inflammation. All of this can be the cause of having a much worst psoriasis.

●Wound healing
The lack of blood flow or vascular constriction caused by the toxins in cigarettes has a negative effect on wound healing. When you’re going to have surgery, doctors recommend stopping smoking because it slows the process of wound healing.

It doesn’t just slows down healing but also contributes to the risk of wound infection, skin graft failure, tissue death, and blood clot formation.

Scars are common as well. There is evidence that smoking may increase the risk of stretch marks which is also a form of scarring caused by rapid weight gain.

●Acne Inversa
It is known as Hidradenitis suppurativa or acne inversa. It is an inflammatory skin disease that affects different areas of the body like the groins, armpits and under the breasts in women.

Misdiagnosed, it causes boil-like nodules that drain pus. It can last up to months or even years and it is painful. Cigarette smoking is a risk factor for acne inversa.

●Vasculitis
It is also called Buerger’s disease a form of vasculitis and smokers are increased risk. All kinds of vasculitis involve inflammed blood vessels in different parts of our body.

Buerger’s disease also affects blood flow to the hands and feet and the blood vessels become painful and it can have tissue damage because, in these areas, blood vessels are constricted or blocked.

Ulcers in the skin of fingers and toes is an example of the extreme cases of Buerger’s disease and worst, gangrene or tissue death and loss appendage can occur.

●Telangiectasia
Telangiectasia pronounced as (tell-on-gee-oct-tasia) affects blood vessels in the body becomes wide or dilated causing damage to capillary walls. It is noticeable close to the surface of the skin but can happen anywhere. You might see permanent purple blotches or spider veins.

●Skin Tone/Staining
If you smoke, your skin tone can be uneven and off. It can look orange or in a grey tone. It is caused by lack of oxygen to the skin cells and it plays a part of why this occurs with numerous negative effects of cigarette smoking.

The chemicals in cigarette smoking are 7000, including 250 that are poisonous and 70 that cause cancer.

●Tar stains
Yellowing of the skin can result in years of holding cigarettes using your fingers. It is caused by nicotine and other toxins in cigarettes commonly known as the tar. It is impossible to be removed with soap and water. Avoiding smoke is just the cure.

●If you quit tobacco, it improves your skin
Wrinkles that developed may not disappear entirely but the return of the normal blood flow of the skin cells will bring oxygen and nutrients to it and you will look healthy once again.

Collagen and elastin production will not be hindered so it can help you in improving your skin. Tar stains will disappear in time. Your health condition will be in a good state and the risk of having other sicknesses will be reduced. Your family and friends will probably be noticed how glowing you have been because you stop smoking already. And if you are still smoking, stop it right away and start with cessation.

Cover Photo Credits: Monthly Gift