Everyone is aware of the harmful side effects of smoking. When it comes to smoking, everyone knows that it affects our respiratory system, and as time progresses, our lungs can get severely damaged, and other respiratory diseases can develop. But what about the side effects of cigarettes on the skin? Not a lot of people know, but smoking can also have harmful effects on the skin as well.

Nicotine quickly gets absorbed into the skin, and it can cause many skin issues. If you are smoking, thinking about smoking, or around people who are using cigarettes, you should give this article a read. Here, we have mentioned the different ways smoking can affect the skin. So, let's jump right into the article and look at it.

How Does Smoking Affect the Skin?

Many people might not even believe that smoking is related to the skin issues they have. But the shocking news is that smoking can be very harmful to your skin. The body absorbs the nicotine in the intestinal muscles, respiratory tract, and even in the skin. The skin contains cells called Keratinocytes. These cells make the skin barrier that acts as the first line of defense for the body and protects the skin from the attack of pathogens.

However, when you smoke, the nicotine promotes apoptosis, which is the death of cells. When the cells are damaged, it also damages the skin barrier and the blood vessels and even reduces the blood flow in the skin.

Other than this, nicotine also alters the skins structure, slows down the production of collagen and other essential proteins. Hence, this shows that smoking can affect the skin in many different ways, and this eventually causes a lot of skin problems.

Effects of Smoking on Skin

Now that you know how smoking can affect the function of the skin, below we have mentioned some of the conditions and problems that you might face because of smoking consistently.

Accelerated Aging

The first problem you might face when you are smoking is accelerated aging. No one wants wrinkles or fine lines on their skin, showing how quickly they are aging. But if you smoke, then trust us, this will happen. One of the reasons why this happens is because smoking triggers the formation of a protein called metalloproteinase. This type of enzyme breaks down the collagen formation in the skin.

When there is no collagen in the skin, your skin will become loose, and this will cause wrinkles and fine lines to appear. Smoking can also cause yellowing and thickening of the skin. This can also make you look ten times older than your actual age.

Slow Wound Healing

You only want the wound to heal quickly when you get a cut or an injury. But if you are a smoker, we are sorry to say wound healing will become a problem for you. When you inhale nicotine in your body, it causes vasoconstriction. This will reduce the blood supply to the wound and delay the healing process.

This is why if a smoker is going for surgery, it is suggested that they have a temporary pause on smoking so that they can heal properly without any complications.

Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a skin problem that is caused by overgrown skin cells. This can cause a lot of itchiness and irritation on the skin. It is seen that people who smoke can develop this skin issue more quickly as compared to people who do. It can also cause psoriasis to flare up and become very irritated. If you are smoking, then you need to remember that the treatment of psoriasis won't be effective because of the nicotine in your body. It binds with the different enzymes in your body and reduces the effectiveness of the medication.

Eczema

This is another skin condition where the skin becomes dry, itchy, and irritated. It is seen that smoking can flare up eczema, and it is also found that people who smoke are five times more likely to have eczema as compared to other people. The reason for this is that smoking can damage the sin barrier and increase the inflammation of the skin.

Acne

Acne is a problem that almost everyone around the world faces. However, people who smoke are more prone to having acne. One of the main reasons this happens is that nicotine disturbs the skin barrier; it makes the skin more vulnerable. This means the bacteria, dust, and debris can easily enter the skin and cause pimples and acne.

Hyperpigmentation

Smoking also promotes the formation of melanocytes in the skin. Melanocytes are the cells that can increase hyperpigmentation in the skin and make your skin very patchy. Smoking can also cause vasoconstriction in certain parts of the body, making your skin color dull or gray. Hence, chronic smokers can have a bluish-gray and dull appearance.

Skin Cancer

This might be under debate, but according to a lot of research, smoking contributes to skin cancer. Cigarettes contain more than 80 carcinogens, and if you smoke, this can surely elevate the risk of skin cancer. It affects wound healing, damages the skin barrier, and makes your skin weak, and all of this can come together and cause skin cancer.

Skin Sagging

The nicotine and other chemicals in cigarettes can cause transepidermal water loss. This can make your skin very dry and look very saggy and lost. It reduces the elasticity and makes your skin very droopy.

Final Word

People start smoking as fun, and it becomes their habit in no time. Smoking can be hazardous to health and can affect a lot of your body system. Other than impacting the respiratory system, smoking can also damage your skin. This is why it is suggested to leave smoking as soon as possible. We hope with the help of this article, you know some of the harmful effects of smoking, and this can motivate you to quit it.