For a long time, everyone has heard that smoking is bad for their health. Inhaling nicotine, carbon monoxide, tar, and acetone does more harm than good. Though there are various causes of smoking addiction, most people try it due to peer pressure or disturbing occurrences in their family.
Smoking has far-reaching effects on health and longevity, not just on the lungs and respiratory system. Smoking may be to blame if your skin feels tired, dull, or pigmented despite using a good moisturizer and sunscreen every day.
Which chemicals in the cigarettes lead to skin damage?
Over five thousand chemicals and toxic compounds can be found in a single cigarette. Those that are said to deplete your skin include:
Nicotine:
This addictive stimulant, found naturally in tobacco leaves, narrows our microscopic blood capillaries, limiting blood flow to the skin, and is the best-known of the cigarette evils.
Carbon monoxide:
This toxic gas prevents oxygen from entering the body by binding to hemoglobin in red blood cells instead of O2. Therefore, what happens? Tissues, including skin, receive less oxygen as a result.
Free radicals:
Collagen, which gives skin its natural bounce, is attacked by these unstable chemicals in cigarette smoke and tar.
Here are a few smoking effects on the face and skin:
Early aging and wrinkles:
Collagen and elastin, two fibrous components of your skin that help keep it strong and supple, are damaged by the chemicals in cigarette smoke. Wrinkles deepen, and elasticity decreases without them, which accelerates the aging process.
Wrinkles between the brows, around the eyes, and lip area tend to be the most pronounced on your face. Sagging skin, especially around the eyes and jawline, is another potential side effect of smoking.
Skin wrinkles and premature aging may be caused by nicotine, other chemicals in cigarettes, smoking habits, and other things: Nicotine narrows blood vessels, which cuts off oxygen and nutrients from getting to skin cells. This is how smoking affects the skin and leads to adverse effects.
Smoking accelerates aging because it shortens your life: it reduces blood flow to the skin (reducing its oxygen supply), increases the body’s creation of free radicals, and depletes the skin of vitamin A.
Pursing your lips when smoking can also cause vertical wrinkles around the mouth.
Pigmentation of the skin or dull skin:
Especially on the face, dark spots may appear if you smoke because melanin production is boosted by nicotine. Some people’s skin tones can become noticeably yellower from prolonged exposure to nicotine and other toxins in cigarettes if they habitually hold cigarettes between the same two fingers (commonly referred to as tar).
Smokers are more prone to develop smoking-related diseases, according to various research.
Delayed healing of the wound:
Vascular constriction, brought on by smoking, reduces blood flow and slows healing.
Tobacco use can delay the healing process for even mild injuries. You may be more likely to experience scarring from these lesser injuries if you smoke.
Development of psoriasis:
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder that generates itchy and scaly patches. In dark skin tones, psoriasis may appear violet or dark brown with grey scales. The scales can appear red or pink on people with fair skin. It is preferable to consult a dermatologist for a better understanding.
Psoriasis can worsen if you smoke. According to one study, psoriasis risk was observed to increase with the frequency of cigarette smoking.
Nicotine in cigarettes may be the common denominator between psoriasis and smoking. Nicotine exacerbates psoriasis because of its effects on the immune system, skin inflammation, and cell proliferation.
Palmoplantar pustulosis is a disorder where painful blisters grow on the hands and feet, and it is more common in people who smoke. Inflammatory disorders such as psoriasis tend to flare up frequently.
Adult acne can flare up:
Lesion formation in skin-on-skin contact regions, including the armpits, groin, and beneath the breasts, characterizes hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), also known as acne inversa.
Dehydrated skin:
Another possible side effect of puffing is dry skin. Lighting up more than 10 times a day makes your skin less moist. Scientists think that one reason is that chemicals in cigarettes destroy hyaluronic acid, a substance that helps our skin cells hold on to water.
When can you start noticing the changes in the skin due to smoking?
You might not notice those lines at first, but the more you smoke and the longer you do it, the more noticeable they become. People think that if you smoke for 10 years, you can usually start to see the damage. But the good news is that your circulation gets better within two to twelve weeks after you stop smoking.
This means that your skin cells get more oxygen and antioxidants. It’s time to kick that habit if you want better skin. Reach out to a psychologist doctor in Coimbatore to give up the dreadful habit and let your skin glow from the inside.
How can quitting tobacco improve your skin?
If you have a skin condition caused by smoking, quitting makes it much more likely that you will be able to deal with your symptoms better or even start getting better.
By undergoing smoke addiction treatment or giving up, you’ll reduce the inflammation of blood vessels, which is a cause of many skin conditions linked to smoking. Your blood flow and heart rate will get better, and so will the way your heart and lungs work. When your blood flow goes back to normal, oxygen and nutrients will get to your skin cells. Also, try consulting a skincare hospital after quitting to help your skin recover quicker. Your skin will start to look better.
