How smoking affects your appearance: Smoking and your skin

How smoking affects your appearance: Smoking and your skin

Smoking has a number of negative impacts on the body, such as an elevated risk of heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer. Smoking, however, can have an adverse effect on your skin in addition to your inside organs. We’ll look at how this impacts your looks in this post, along with what you can do to safeguard your skin.

Why is it harmful to smoke?

Wrinkles

It makes you look older than you are and prematurely ages your skin. Smoking damages your skin’s collagen and elastin, which makes wrinkles form sooner than they otherwise would have.

Can cause wrinkle and lose skin? (image via pexels / kindel)
Can cause wrinkle and lose skin? (image via pexels / kindel)

Moreover, it harms the blood vessels that carry oxygen to your skin’s surface. On your cheekbones, nose, or other locations that have been exposed to smoking over time, this results in telangiectasia, or tiny red veins.

Dry eyes and skin

Two of the most noticeable areas to be impacted by smoking are your skin and eyes. Less blood and oxygen will reach your skin as a result of the constricting blood vessels in your skin. This causes dry skin and eyes, which can increase the likelihood of wrinkles forming.

Dry skin condition. (Image via pexels / kindel media)
Dry skin condition. (Image via pexels / kindel media)

Moreover, it reduces salivation, which can result in dry mouth and lip and tongue ulcers (known as geographic tongue). By consuming particular foods like spicy curries or hot peppers—or even just sipping coffee—this condition might result in an unpleasant burning feeling.

Puffiness

Fluid retention, which occurs when the body’s tissues store more water than they require, leads to puffiness. Lack of sleep, stress, and weather changes are just a few of the factors that might contribute to it.

Puffiness in the face. (Image via pexels / karolina grabowska)
Puffiness in the face. (Image via pexels / karolina grabowska)

Because it constricts blood vessels throughout your body, including those in your face, this might result in facial puffiness. Swelling around the eyes, cheeks, and other capillary-rich areas of your face result from the decreased flow of oxygenated blood (tiny blood vessels).

Skin that has become yellow

Your skin ages more quickly as a result, as you might anticipate. In addition to speeding up natural aging, it also causes skin to yellow and lose its suppleness, two things that add to a generally lifeless appearance.

can cause the skin to age faster. (Image via pexels / petar )
can cause the skin to age faster. (Image via pexels / petar )

It may result in wrinkles and other outward aging symptoms. Smoking constricts blood arteries, limiting how freely oxygen may pass through them. Your body’s blood flow is constrained by this limitation, which also harms nearby tissues, including skin cells.

Having bags beneath your eyes

You may have noticed that your eyes appear to have been crying after a night of smoking. The skin is darker than usual and the blood vessels are expanded there. This is a precursor to aging.

Premature aging

It’s possible that you’ve already noticed how this can lead to wrinkles and puffiness. Nicotine is a vasoconstrictor, which implies that it narrows blood vessels, which explains why. Your body receives less oxygen as a result, which accelerates the aging of skin cells. The carcinogenic substances present in cigarettes, such as tar, arsenic, and benzene, are what contribute to the yellowing of the skin from smoking (which also causes cancer).

premature aging of the skin. (Image via pexels / cottonbro studio)
premature aging of the skin. (Image via pexels / cottonbro studio)

How to Take Care of Your Skin

Working out and eating right can help prevent further skin damage. (Image via pexels / nathan cowley)
Working out and eating right can help prevent further skin damage. (Image via pexels / nathan cowley)
  1. Stop smoking: Giving up smoking is the finest thing you can do for your skin and general health. Quitting smoking can have a significant influence on your skin and can help to avoid further damage, despite the fact that it may be difficult.
  2. The importance of shielding your skin from the sun’s UV rays cannot be overstated. Sun damage can accelerate the aging process of the skin. When you’re outside, put on protective clothes, such as a hat and sunglasses, and a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30.
  3. Use Skincare Products: Employ skincare items that contain antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, to help heal and protect your skin. These elements can assist in scavenging free radicals and halting further deterioration.
  4. Have a Healthy Diet: Fruits, vegetables, and lean protein are all beneficial for maintaining good skin. These meals provide your body with vitamins and minerals that are crucial for healthy skin.

Smoking can age you prematurely and cause skin cancer, among other undesirable consequences on your look. You may aid in preventing additional harm and promoting healthy, youthful-looking skin by giving up and taking precautions to safeguard your skin.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *