Smoking and Your Skin Health.
- Posted on: Dec 7 2013
Dr. Asarch, Asarch Dermatology and Laser in Denver, CO.
Over the years we have all heard of the damaging effects that smoking can have on our lungs, heart and blood vessels. However, most people do not know what smoking does to their skin. Besides its other harmful effects, smoking causes skin nearly the same extreme problems that sunlight does. Scientists have found that smokers are almost five times more likely to have wrinkles than non-smokers.
Here is a list of reasons to quit smoking from Dr. Asarch:
- Smoking leads to the production of a large quantity of free radicals in your skin, damaging the supporting structures.
- A typical “smoker’s” face exhibits prominent wrinkles, gauntness, thin grayish color, and areas of orange, purple and red pigmentation.
- You can see cigarettes’ well-known aging effects even in your mid-to-late 20s.
- Nicotine in cigarette smoke cuts down on the skin’s oxygen supply by reducing blood flow.
- Smoking also reduces collagen, the substance that keeps your skin tight and smooth.
- Smokers tend to have more problems with wound healing after surgery and have more pronounced scarring.
- Smoking also increases the risk of developing skin cancers, especially squamous-cell carcinomas.
If you smoke, STOP! If you don’t, DON’T START!
Posted in: Blog Post