The harm of smoking to the skin has been proven by numerous scientific studies. After all, nicotine has a negative effect on a woman’s appearance and simply kills her beauty. You can run in the morning, exercise three times a week, eat right, or naturally have good skin and figure - but if you smoke at the same time, the negative effects of tobacco smoke can easily erase all these achievements and merits.
The truth is well known that beauty is only 20% dependent on genetic data, and the remaining 80% is skin care, lifestyle, balanced nutrition and giving up bad habits. Smoking not only has a detrimental effect on a person’s health, but also visually adds several extra years to him (from 5 to 20 years).
Many women find it difficult to quit smoking because nicotine is an addiction similar to a drug. Let's find out why smoking is dangerous for beauty and how to minimize its consequences.
Why smoking harms facial skin
Smoking and beautiful facial skin are incompatible concepts. Everyone knows that smoking is harmful, but this knowledge does not help to get rid of this harmful habit. When nicotine enters the brain, it promotes the production of dopamine, the pleasure hormone. It is this fact that leads to addiction and causes a feeling of pleasure, improves mood, and helps cope with stress.
Regular use of nicotine increases the number of dopamine receptors. However, to maintain the same level of pleasure, it is necessary to increase the dose of nicotine. Thus, pleasure increases only with new doses of nicotine. This phenomenon can be compared to a snowball, which, capturing snow, becomes larger and larger.
But how exactly does nicotine harm beauty? What happens to the skin when a woman smokes?
First, cigarette smoke hits the skin and is absorbed by it, especially if a woman is indoors. It consists of tar, carbon monoxide and combustion products - all of which are very toxic substances. Regular absorption of these substances has a negative effect on the skin: it dries, dehydrates and irritates due to toxins contained in smoke. Cigarette smoke literally burns the upper layer of the epidermis, worsens metabolic processes in cells, clogs pores, and promotes dysfunction of the sebaceous glands.
Secondly, it has long been known that tobacco smoke contains an enzyme, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP1), which promotes the degradation of collagen and other extracellular proteins. Thus, each cigarette smoked reduces the level of collagen in the skin by 40%. Regenerative processes are also reduced and skin structures are not able to recover on their own.
But without collagen, our skin quickly loses firmness, elasticity and density. Several years of active smoking can greatly worsen its condition: it becomes thin and yellow like parchment paper, wrinkles and age spots appear on it very early. The skin looks unhealthy, it sags, becomes flabby, and bags and a network of wrinkles appear under the eyes throughout the face. All these changes occur to the skin due to external exposure to smoke, but do not forget that there is also an internal effect.
When internally exposed to cigarette smoke, small blood vessels narrow, which leads to their spasm, and further to a deterioration in breathing and skin nutrition. When blood vessels spasm, they begin to experience hypoxia (lack of oxygen), which ultimately affects the regenerative ability of skin cells. As a result, smoker's wounds regenerate very slowly and take a long time to heal.
Tobacco smoke is the so-called passive smoking, when a person inhales tars and combustion products without smoking. In this case, oxygen in the blood and skin is replaced by carbon monoxide, which leads to the effect of oxygen starvation. Other toxic ingredients in tobacco smoke are transformed in the human body into free radicals - molecules containing an extra unpaired electron. They accelerate the aging process of cells because they cause DNA mutations and push them to rapid wear and tear, as well as to the development of cancer.
Heavy smokers suffer from vitamin deficiency because tobacco smoke breaks down vitamins A, E and C, which are recognized antioxidants. Thus, the smoker loses his natural protection against free radicals and becomes vulnerable to them.
Very often a cosmetic defect appears on the face of a smoker - rosacea, which is very difficult to cope with. The appearance of spider veins is often provoked by cigarette smoke and smoking. This happens because the elasticity and permeability of blood vessels decreases, the skin becomes thinner and small capillaries become visible on it.
External signs of a smoker
A person dependent on cigarettes can be identified by characteristic external signs. Just pay attention to the smoker's face. It is characterized by:
- loss of elasticity;
- earlier appearance of wrinkles;
- crow's feet near the eyes;
- rosacea - the appearance of spider veins;
- enlarged and clogged pores;
- dryness and flaking;
- local inflammation.
External signs
The faces of women who smoke change most quickly in a negative direction, since the skin of the fairer sex is thin and sensitive. It is more susceptible to adverse environmental conditions.
What else does smoking affect?
In addition to the face, smoking negatively affects the condition of teeth, hair and nails.
Women who smoke can forget about a beautiful smile and white teeth forever. Even constant teeth whitening will not help eliminate this defect. It’s just that each time it becomes more and more difficult to carry out this procedure.
Nicotine negatively affects the functioning of the endocrine and hormonal system, which immediately affects the figure: some women gain weight, while others lose weight sharply. Therefore, the myth “a cigarette helps you lose weight” has no scientific basis. A change in weight occurs due to a malfunction of one or another system, and what changes there will be is unknown.
This bad habit also worsens the quality of your hair. Since nicotine contains carbon monoxide, hair becomes dull, brittle and brittle. They lose their shine and quickly die off. All this happens because the hair follicles are not provided with the necessary nutrition and suffer from a lack of oxygen.
Therefore, the statement that smokers are more likely to suffer from alopecia (hair loss) is absolutely true.
Nails also suffer from nicotine. In addition, the color of the fingers changes - they become yellow, and the nails become brittle and grow poorly. The reason is still the same - lack of oxygen and nutrients in the blood.
Possible consequences
Looking through photos before and after getting rid of addiction, you can see how negatively nicotine affects the epidermis of the face. In addition to the rapid aging of the skin, the spread of rashes, the appearance of spider veins and wrinkles, smoking cigarettes can cause a number of more serious ailments, namely:
- Smoker's melanoma. Exposure to high temperatures, carcinogens and radicals (free type) become the main cause of the appearance of malignant tumors. Smoker's cancer quite often leads to metastases in other organs, which can be fatal.
- Cancer of the lip (oral mucosa). The most susceptible category of people to this type of disease are smokers.
- Vincent's disease, considered a specific disease of smokers. When this disease occurs, inflammation develops and the gum skin dies. The patient experiences acute pain.
Smoking can cause a huge number of diseases and affect almost all organs and systems of the body. Only a complete cessation of a bad habit will help at least to some extent restore lost health and improve your appearance. When you quit smoking, it is important to remember that addiction is, first of all, on a psychological level and if you set a goal, you can overcome it. And at the moments when you have already given up your addiction, no matter how much stress you have endured, you should find another way to relax and never touch a cigarette again.
Skin restoration after quitting smoking
Quitting cigarettes will gradually but inexorably affect the condition of the epidermis and the body as a whole. The lungs will get rid of constant smoke, work better and saturate the body with oxygen. The olfactory organs will be better able to recognize odors and enjoy freshness.
Skin cells that were constantly suppressed by tobacco smoke will begin to intensively regenerate, restore and renew themselves. This will immediately affect the woman’s appearance: her cheeks will turn pink, her skin will turn white, as the yellowness begins to fade from her face.
Dark circles under the eyes will disappear, since the right amount of oxygen will enter the cells. The sebaceous glands will regulate the production of sebum and will not become clogged with cigarette tar and smoke. The skin of the face will recover very quickly, but only if the smoking experience is not very high.
After all, the longer the skin was exposed to nicotine, the longer the recovery will be. Experienced smokers should prepare for the fact that recovery will be long and difficult. However, in no case should you stop, because beauty and health are worth it.
Smoking and acne
The painful appearance of the face is masked with the help of foundation, powder of a suitable tone and blush. However, this only makes the problem worse and increases the number of areas where acne and rashes spread. Can occasional smoking cause acne?
How does smoking affect teeth?
Very often, smokers with skin problems blame poor diet or insufficient skin care as the cause of their rashes. Of course, eating fatty and smoked foods can also cause acne, but smoking can also provoke a similar reaction on the skin.
Any inflammation on the skin of the face appears during the period when the body ceases to independently cope with the elimination of toxic accumulations. Given the large number of toxins found in tobacco smoke, cigarettes can cause acne in smokers.
Smoke from cigarettes, entering the circulatory system bypassing the lungs, has a poisonous effect on all organs and systems in the body. The skin begins to literally suffocate from a large number of toxic accumulations and oxygen deficiency.
Systematic smoking of cigarettes can lead to the appearance of:
- grayish skin tone;
- wrinkles;
- acne spread;
- swelling of the face.
A rash from cigarettes leaves a negative imprint on the appearance of a smoker. That is why you should give up this bad habit as soon as possible and take care of your own skin.
Myths about women's smoking
Myth No. 1 Light women's cigarettes do not harm the skin and body
It is not clear where this opinion comes from, but this is completely untrue. Both the nicotine itself that enters the body and its smoke are dangerous. The latter contains many toxins and poisons, so the strength of the cigarettes does not play any role here. Cigarettes with reduced nicotine content are compensated by the frequency of smoking and the depth of puffs. Even if a woman switches to light cigarettes, nothing changes. There is still the same addiction to nicotine, and by reducing the number of cigarettes you can even deepen the addiction. A woman will look forward to each cigarette with greater impatience.
Myth No. 2 Hookah is not a cigarette, so it is safe for health
Another dangerous misconception. Indeed, passing through the liquid, the smoke is slightly neutralized, but carbon monoxide and poisonous tar toxins are released in a half-hour smoking session exactly as much as when smoking two packs of cigarettes. In addition, not only the smoker feels the harmful effects of the hookah, but also other people in the room. For this reason, passive hookah smoking is much more dangerous. After all, its smoke contains a high content of heavy metals in the form of salts, and this is much more than in ordinary cigarettes.
Myth No. 3 To have a healthy baby, you need to stop smoking only during pregnancy
Since the woman’s eggs remain the same, they cannot renew themselves. It follows from this that even smoking in adolescence does not go away without consequences and increases the risk of having a child with disabilities. The main function of the female body is the birth of healthy offspring. Therefore, women who go to great lengths in their youth have a high probability of infertility or miscarriage. And modern studies have found that even if a woman quit smoking a year before pregnancy, there is still a high probability of having a child with various abnormalities and pathologies.
Myth No. 4 If a woman suddenly quits smoking, she will immediately begin to gain weight
Many women addicted to tobacco reassure themselves that cigarettes help them maintain their figure. However, they do not think that they are losing their health. This is another horror story that has no basis. You can also gain extra pounds by smoking cigarettes. A slight weight gain after quitting nicotine still occurs, but this is explained by the fact that the woman is trying to replace one pleasure with another, and therefore begins to eat a lot and often. Statistics say that for most women, after quitting smoking, their weight returns to normal over time.
Modern science about smoking
- Women who smoke look older than their non-smoking counterparts. This fact has forced many smokers to reconsider their attitude towards tobacco.
- Early wrinkles and poor complexion. Since tobacco smoke dries out and dehydrates the skin, it becomes dry and irritated.
- From nicotine and tobacco smoke, the skin experiences stress and oxygen starvation, becomes sallow in color, hair becomes dull, and teeth become yellow. Many men who don't smoke call kissing a smoker kissing an ashtray.
- Women who smoke cannot conceive a child for a very long time, and in some cases it is impossible to help them. You can understand all the negative consequences of smoking by comparing two facts: only 4% of non-smoking young women suffer from the inability to conceive a child during their reproductive years. And among smokers this figure reaches 42%. But even if they can become pregnant, there is a high probability of miscarriage or stillbirth. And even if they could bear it, there is a high probability of premature birth and the birth of a premature baby. Such a child grows up weak, lags behind his peers in development, often gets sick and suffers from allergies. The great danger is that such parents continue to smoke, and the child becomes a passive smoker from infancy.
- Women who don't smoke live longer, get sick less, and have a better quality of life. Smoking reduces life expectancy by 10 years, and the last years of life in smokers are accompanied by various diseases. In 90% of cases, smokers die from lung cancer, heart attacks, strokes and other ailments. In addition, smoking causes a number of specific diseases in women: cancer of the vulva and cervix.
- Most men (according to the survey) prefer to start a relationship and start a family with a non-smoking woman.
In conclusion, I would like to say that beauty and youthful skin are incompatible with nicotine. After all, this harmful habit robs a woman of not only her beauty and youth, but also her health. And this is fraught with many serious problems. Quitting smoking is difficult, but it is possible. It just takes a little effort. And then your skin will thank you with a magnificent appearance.
Reminder for smokers
You should remember the consequences that smoking causes to the body:
- Smoking damages your skin every time you smoke a cigarette.
- The skin recovers very slowly from damage caused by burning tobacco smoke.
- Smoking increases the incidence of skin cancer
- Quitting smoking, even with a long history of smoking, reduces the risk of developing and progressing serious diseases.
- It is recovering, but this requires more than one week or more than one month.
- Skin is only a tiny part of how your appearance deteriorates. Add to this yellow teeth, unpleasant smell of clothes and breath.
If you have a desire to quit a bad habit, but do not have the moral strength to do so, contact a specialist. People often put off visiting doctors, even with serious illnesses, and this is their main mistake. After all, doctors do not oblige you to anything, doctors will be able to help you fight a bad habit, but they will not treat you without your consent. In order to overcome addiction to nicotine, there are special doctors: psychiatrist, psychologist, psychotherapist.
The skin, like any other organ, suffers from the negative effects of cigarettes, so try to take full responsibility for your health.
If you experience the first signs of skin problems, give up cigarettes. It's not an easy journey to quit smoking, but it's worth it to stay healthy!
Scientists have long proven that smoking has a negative effect on the skin. How does smoking affect facial skin? People who frequently smoke cigarettes look 10–15 years older than non-smokers. Their face looks unhealthy, and their skin is dull and full of pimples.
Smoking can accelerate the aging process and thinning of the skin. Nicotine reduces the moisture level of the skin, dries it and accelerates the appearance of sagging. The skin ceases to be sufficiently saturated with oxygen and nutrients that come with the blood.
