Smoking and skin health are extremely connected. People who smoke have skin that ages much earlier than non-smokers due to oxidation, circulation and cellular health.
Why does smoking age your skin? Smoking triggers the breakdown of elastin, an element that makes our skin supple, strong and also supports proper distribution of pigmentation, therefore causing the skin of smokers to not only be wrinkled, but also discolored. Because the skin is not as strong, healing of wounds becomes impaired.
The lack of oxygen to the skin due to smoking’s effects on one’s lungs causes skin to be thinner, producing further lines and wrinkles. Constricting blood vessels further tissue oxygenation. Smoking causes weakened capillaries and creates broken blood vessels that are visible on the surface of the skin.
Poor circulation causes toxic build-up on skin which effects dead cells not being able to be removed at a proper rate, therefore creating tired, lifeless skin. Smoking also increases the risk of developing the second most common form of skin cancer, SCC (squamous cell carcinoma).
According to researchers at Technical University of Munich, results of a particular study they performed found that smoking was linked to a prevalence and severity of acne. This study showed that acne was significantly higher in active smokers (40.8%) as compared with ex-smokers (23.5%) or those who had never smoked (25.2%).
So if you want to take care of your skin, stop smoking.
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