7 Dangerous Changes that Smoking Causes to Your Skin: Do Not Ignore The Symptoms

Yes, smoking can affect how your skin looks or feels like. Scroll down to know the 7 dangerous things that smoking does to your skin.

Smoking is injurious to health and decreases our life expectancy is a well-known fact. However, how many of you also know that smoking can have some severe effects on your skin health too? Yes, you read that right! Smoking not only hampers the lungs and damages you internally but can also cause damage to your skin in a way that it can affect how you look. Today in this article, we take a close look at the dangers caused by smoking cigarettes to your skin health. To help us understand the concept better, we have with us Dr Sonali Kohli, Consultant Dermatologist and Venereologist, Sir H. N. Reliance Foundation Hospital and Research Centre. Here are some unknown facts that the doctor wants you to know about smoking and its adverse effects on the skin.

Can Smoking Affect Your Skin?

The effects that smoking has on your body s far more than what you can imagine. It is not just the lungs or the heart that gets affected by the tar or the dangerous components present in tobacco, there is much more that needs to be highlighted to understand the dangers smoking can cause to your health. Speaking to TheHealthSite.com, Dr Kohli said, “Smoking negatively impacts the skin and can lead to premature skin ageing and the appearance of early-onset of ageing signs.”

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1. Smoking accelerates the ageing process and leads to the development of wrinkles and fine lines, particularly around the mouth and eyes. The chemicals in tobacco smoke reduce collagen and elastin production, which are essential proteins for maintaining the skin’s elasticity and smoothness.
2. Smoking can also cause skin discolouration and uneven skin tone. The nicotine and other chemicals in cigarettes restrict blood vessels and reduce blood flow to the skin, resulting in a dull, uneven complexion.
3. Smoking can also lead to a lack of lustre in your skin. Dryness and dehydration caused by smoking can make your skin look dry, rough, and less supple is very common in smokers.
4. Smoking can also effectively reduce the skin’s ability to retain moisture, leading to a lack of natural glow and radiance.
5. Another unusual and harmful side effect of smoking is decreased wound healing. Smoking impairs the body’s ability to heal wounds and recover from injuries. It slows down the healing process, which can lead to delayed recovery from skin-related issues like acne, Smoking is associated with an increased risk of developing various types of cancer, including skin cancer. The chemicals in tobacco smoke can damage the DNA of skin cells and increase the chances of malignant cell growth.
6. Prolonged smoking can cause a yellowish tint to the skin, especially on the fingers and nails. This discolouration occurs due to the accumulation of tar and other chemicals found in tobacco smoke.
7. Smoking is not only associated with poor skin health but can also trigger and worsen autoimmune skin disorders like Psoriasis. Smoking can trigger psoriasis flare-ups and make the condition more difficult to control.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The severe and harmful effects of smoking that can show up on the skin are not entirely discernible until after 10 years of prolonged smoking (and also sometimes it depends on how many smokes you are having in a day). But, you need not be scared thinking that it is too late. Fortunately, your skin starts to heal itself when you kick the habit. Therefore, if you are someone who is a chain or a heavy smoker, understand that it is time for you to quit this bad habit and help your body and skin breathe.