Smoking and Your Skin - A Guide to Stop Smoking
Smoking affects your skin: it causes it to look pale, drawn and wrinkled which unfortunately, adds years to you. You are probably aware of the many side effects of smoking but do you know that it is harmful to your skin as well?
Smoking and ageing
Smoking restricts blood flow to your skin resulting in excessive dryness, skin blemishes, and an unhealthy pallor. It also leads to increased lines and wrinkles which help to age the skin.
These signs of ageing are difficult enough to deal with but when they are exacerbated by smoking then this makes them even more of a pain.
We can’t escape laughter lines, frown lines and other visible signs of ageing (unless we resort to cosmetic surgery) but, we can add to these by indulging in harmful activities such as smoking. When you smoke a cigarette you pucker your lips up to do so which may lead to even more wrinkles around your mouth.
And this action can lead to increased lines and wrinkles on the forehead and around the eyes.
Other effects on the skin
Not only does it age the skin but it causes other negative effects such as dryness, clogged pores and a grey facial appearance. Prolonged exposure to heat and/or smoke is going to be harmful to your skin which includes draining the skin of its natural moisture which causes it to dry out. A soft, healthy skin looks younger and fuller (plumper) but smoking does the opposite by removing vital nutrients which result in a drawn, sunken cheeked appearance.
Every time you smoke, or in a smoke filled room, your skin is being slowly aged by the effects of this smoke. The toxins present in cigarette smoke restrict the blood flow to your facial tissues which cause them to dry out and sag. Plus this smoke leaves a greasy film over your face, clogging your pores and leaving you with pale, washed out look.
If you are a smoker then it is possible to reverse some of the damage caused to your skin, but this is a very difficult thing to do. It is a good idea to follow a skin care routine on a daily basis in order to prevent any further damage. This can include an anti-ageing cream, a cleanser and a good moisturiser. Use these to remove the effects of cigarette smoke from your skin followed by a moisturiser to lubricate your skin and the application of an anti-wrinkle cream.
The less time you have been smoking then greater the chance of you regenerating your skin. But the best form of skin care is to quit smoking. Follow a smoking cessation programme and combine this with a good skin care routine such as the one described here.
Our Stopping Smoking section contains useful information on how to give up smoking.