Does Smoking Ruin Your Looks?

News Flash!!! Smoking does ruin your beautiful healthy looks. It creates wrinkles on your face, and your body. It also causes skin damage. Who wants to age, let alone age faster?? No one I am sure.

How does Smoking Lead to Wrinkles that ruin your Looks?

Well the nicotine in cigarettes causes narrowing of the blood vessels in the layers of your skin. This damages blood flow to your skin, therefore your skin doesn't get as much oxygen and important nutrients, such as vitamin A. (oh no not Vitamin A!!)

The chemicals in tobacco damage collagen and elastin, which are vital to provide your skin its strength and elasticity. As a result, your skin begins to sag and wrinkle prematurely because of smoking. Eeek who wants that!!

But there is more, repeated exposure to the heat from burning cigarettes and the facial expressions you make when smoking — such as pursing your lips when inhaling and squinting your eyes to keep out smoke — can contribute to wrinkles (upper lips wrinkles known as smoker’s lines!!)

So if we didn’t know before to what extent smoking cigarettes speeds in your aging process we do now. Right!! Hmmm maybe not quite yet!!  Keep on reading.  As we all know smoking affects your whole body but my main objective here is to just focus on your looks, your skin and premature aging.  

How does Smoking Lead to Wrinkles that ruin your Looks?

Wound healing - Several studies have found that smokers have a slower healing process for cuts and after surgeries. This means your wounds will take longer to heal and you’ll have scars that are bigger and redder than a non-smoker. This is due to Nicotine causing vasoconstriction, a narrowing of the blood vessels that can limit oxygen reach and blood flow to the tiny vessels in your face and body.

Nicotine also damages the fibers and connective tissue in your skin, causing it to lose elasticity and strength and therefore is a contributing factor for your scaring, stretch marks and red skin issues.

Immune system - Science demonstrates that smoking affects your normal Immune System.  This may lead to more acne, taking longer to heal from skin cuts or conditions, and even acne scarring. You need a healthy immune system for natural glowing skin.

When your immune system is not at its best, it takes your acne longer to clear up which adds to a higher risk of acne scarring.

Skin - Usually a smoker’s skin has no natural glow and is dull looking.  In 1985 a study came up with the term “Smoker’s Face” to describe certain facial characteristics, such as wrinkles, gauntness, and a grey appearance of the skin, caused by smoking. 

Cigarette smoke contains carbon monoxide, which displaces the oxygen in your skin, and nicotine, which reduces blood flow, leaving skin dry and discoloured. Cigarette smoking also depletes many nutrients, including vitamin C, which helps protect and repair skin damage.

Psoriasis is an autoimmune-related skin condition that can show up even if you never touch a cigarette. However, it increases your risk for the flaking skin condition.

Smoking is a leading cause of many cancers, so it should be no surprise that cigarettes can also increase your risk of skin cancer. 

In fact, according to a 2001 study, smokers are three times as likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma, the second most common type of skin cancer, than non-smokers.

Bags under your eyes - Don’t you hate having puffy eyes? I know I do… of course we all do right!! Often we blame late nights, tiredness, lack of good night sleep…. well it’s true… If you smoke you are 4 times more likely as non-smokers to feel restless and agitated according to a John Hopkins study. Why is that!! Because nicotine is both a drug and a stimulant, withdrawal and the stimulant could be the reason for tossing and turning.

Damaged Gums and Teeth - Long term smoking stains your teeth; it also makes them more prone to gum disease, oral hygiene problems and offensive breath. Smokers are at double the risk of losing teeth when compared to non-smokers.

Premature Aging and Wrinkles - Smoking speeds up aging, so smokers look 1.4 years older than non-smokers, on average. Wrinkles do not look wise when they appear on a relatively young person who smokes.

Why the wrinkly face?  Simple, smoking obstructs the blood supply that keeps skin tissue looking elastic and healthy. Substance in Cigarettes can cause dry skin and premature aging. Reduced blood flow also causes skin to get less nutrition.

How Quitting Smoking Improves Your Looks - Quitting smoking can improve your appearance. As blood flow gets better, you skin receives more oxygen and nutrients. This can help you develop a healthier complexion.

I hope this information has given you reasons to either stop or never start Smoking.

Thank you for reading my blog. Soraya x