5 Effects of Smoking on Skin + How to Reverse Them

We all know cigarette smoking is injurious to health. It makes your lungs weak and puts you at the higher risk of getting heart problems, heart attack asthma or chronic bronchitis. But, do you know? Other than these harmful effects of smoking, smoking can make unbelievable deep-rooted harmful changes in the skin as well.

Handling skin with topmost gentle skin care kits is an essential skincare routine. But, these skin care products only work if your inner body is healthy.

'Balanced diet' is a key to healthy skin. But, healthy habits are also important.

Smoking can lead to uneven skin tone, skin aging, sagging skin, crow's feet, dry skin, flakiness, slow wound healing, greying of hair, hair fall and pigmentation.

Find out the solution for sagging skin here!

Know the impact of smoking on skin/hair and adopt 'No Smoking' mantra:

Premature skin aging
Dry and dull skin
Smoking and acne
Hair fall with smoking
Major skin and hair problems with smoking
How to quit smoking
FAQs

Premature Skin Aging

Smoking and wrinkles have a very old relationship.

Smoking Facts:

The very first association was found in 1856 by solly.
The modern studies based on silicone modeling techniques also assessed that people who smoke show relatively high signs of wrinkles than non-smokers.
According to Kadunce et al. “Independent of sun exposure, heavy smokers have 4.7 times more chances to have facial wrinkles.”

It can be seen that smoking leads your skin towards aging more rapidly. But why? It involves multifactorial reasons -

The phototoxic effects of tobacco smoke stimulated via UVA and UVB rays. This raises the smoker's chances of photoaging.
Smoking cigarettes reduces the water content of epidermis and thus leads to dryness.
Smoking strongly affects the skin elasticity and healthy collagen.
Smoking generates free radicals in the body. Free radicals has many negative impacts on skin. One of them is premature aging.

For some of you free radicals might be a new term. This article on 'Free radicals: the biggest enemy of skin health' can help you to know this skin enemy from close.

How to get rid of wrinkles and fine lines in smokers?

The very first thing, try to quit smoking. Then go for a skin restoration process. Improve your lifestyle and bring changes in your skin care routine.

Anti-aging Cream

Today you can find many advertisements around this skin care product. Anti-aging creams are the innovative formula which specifically acts upon your aging signs. Must include this into your night skin care routine to get rid of wrinkles.

You can study about this cream in detail through this article 'Anti aging creams: Your guide to youthful skin'.

Home Remedies for wrinkles

You can also try certain home remedies along with using anti aging cream. It surely can help you to get effects a little earlier. Want to know some of the best home remedies for wrinkles, then read this 'How to get rid of wrinkles at home'. This will surely provide you some of the easiest but effective knowledge of home remedies.

If wrinkles and fine lines are the major concern you are suffering from, then you can choose a whole kit of anti-wrinkle skin care products based on managing these signs.

Dry and dull skin

Smoking has a significant impact upon the skin moisture. It lowers the transepidermal water loss and lowers the water content of skin.

Smoking Facts:

According to an analysis, the epidermal barrier damage and skin dryness in active smokers and passive smokers were high as compared to non-smokers.
Smoking reduces the omega 6 fatty acids levels in the skin, which is essential for skin moisturization and maintaining skin ceramides.
Smoking cigarettes produces nicotine which affects the collagen of skin. This also affects the skin moisture.

How to get rid of dryness in smokers?

The very first step is to say no to smoking. Then bring change in skin care routine:

Ultra hydrating moisturizers

The very first requirement the dry skin warrants is intense moisturization. This doesn't mean you need to apply thick creams and moisturizers to hydrate your skin. You need a hydrating face moisturizer that deeply hydrates your skin and doesn't make a thick layer of grease on the skin.

Read Things to Consider Before Choosing the Best Moisturizer for Dry Skin. It will surely help you out to select a good hydrating moisturizer.

Collagen rich diet and products

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Collagen for skin is very essential. You might read about this earlier in this write-up. Without adequate quantities of this component, skin becomes dull and unhealthy.

It is very essential that you should include collagen cream in your skin care routine. Also, try to include collagen rich foods in your diet.

Ceramides embedded skincare products

Ceramides are essential to maintain skin hydration. The levels of ceramides in normal skin is comparatively higher than dry skin. You can estimate how essential to enrich skin with ceramides.

You can choose the skin care products that are enriched with these essential skin components.

Click here to know which skin care product you can choose to enhance your skin ceramides levels.

Other than this there are some other things as well, which you can try to manage the problem of dry skin. One of them is overnight skin care of dry skin. You should also give a look at this to never get back haunting dull and dry skin.

Smoking and Acne

A straight association has been noticed between post-adolescent acne and smoking. Post-adolescent acne is a type of acne commonly occurring in people aged 25 years or older.

Smoking Facts:

Among smokers, post-adolescent acne is the most common side effect of smoking. According to one report, 81.8% of cases with severe post-adolescent acne were smokers.

How to get rid of acne in smokers?

Along with quitting smoking cigarettes, you should adopt an oil free bundle for acne prone skin which can help you to properly take care of acne-prone skin.

Non-comedogenic products

People with acne-prone skin should always use non-comedogenic skincare products. If you are not aware of this term, then you should give your little time to read about this 'Non Comedogenic Skin Care: Facts And Products'. This will help you to select appropriate skin care products for your skin.

Oil free foaming face wash

For oily acne prone skin, you need a special cleanser which can clear your skin and reduces the chances of getting acne. For this, oil free foaming face wash can be the best candidate.

Want to know why? Take a quick tour to 'The Quick Guide To Acne Prone Skin And Anti Acne Face Wash', you will know why you should buy a foaming face wash for your acne skin.

Mattifying Moisturizer

To reduce acne development, it is very important to keep skin sebum under control. For this use mattifying moisturizer for your skin. This becomes more essential if your skin is already oily acne-prone.

Don't let your skin produce excessive oil, as it can store in the open pores on face and create a suitable environment for pimples or acne. Stick to oil free foaming face wash, mattifying moisturization and gel-based sunscreen.

Spot Treatment

Do spot treatment using a suitable OTC cream. Benzoyl peroxide topical medication is one of the best spot treatments for your problem, if it is not severe. Other than this you can also try some good old home remedies to treat your problem of pimples along with home remedies for acne scars that work later to treat blemished skin.

Want to know, what is blemished skin? This article can help you out 'The Ultimate Guide To Blemished Skin'.

Hair fall with smoking

We do many tips for hair growth and its overall health. But, if you are an active smoker, you can face problems with hair fall.

Smoking Facts:

Smoking tobacco affects the microvasculature hair papilla.
The genotoxicants present in smoking can affects the DNA of hair follicles.
It can negatively impact the hair growth cycle.
Smoking release pro-inflammatory cytokines which cause fibrosis and micro-inflammation.

All these factors can lead to hair fall among the active smokers. (know the ways to control hair fall)

How to solve the hair fall problem in smokers?

As aforementioned, the very first step that is required to treat the problem of hair fall, stop smoking.

Then Choose the hair fall solution kit which can help to strengthen your hair. This involves a good revitalizing shampoo, hair serum and nutritional hair support tablets.
Shampoo is the primary thing to wash and clean hair. It should be good and gentle. Gentle revitalizing shampoos doesn't harm your hair and reduces the chances of hair fall.
Next is a good hair serum that you should include in your routine. It will help to maintain your hair moisture and integrity.

Know - 'Why Do You Need Hair Restore & Hair Growth Serum?'

The hair growth tablets can provide all the essential nutrients your hair requires. This can help to normalize your hair cycle and strengthen the hair. Know How these tablets work?
Including all these hair care products in your hair care routine along with good hair care habits, you can surely change the way your hair looks right now. After some months later, you will see your hair is more stronger and robust.

Major skin and hair problems with smoking

Other than the above-mentioned skin and hair problems, active smokers can also suffer from other major problems like -

Hair Graying

According to a report of Indian Dermatology Online Journal “Smokers before age 30 experience premature graying 2.5 times more than non-smokers.

Tip - Consult the dermatologist in severe cases, otherwise use good hair products and use red onion juice for hair.

Dry Scaly Patches

Problem of dry scaly patches can be acute as well as chronic. It occurs due to psoriasis, eczema or dermatitis. You can try home remedies for dry skin patches, but also consult a doctor for proper treatment.

Make sure you are also taking care of other things which are essential to prevent dry skin patches. Want to know what these are, read this 'Ways to prevent the dry skin patches'.

Delay Wound Healing

The wound healing process also gets affected in active smokers. Nicotine reduces the blood flow to the skin, which results in impaired healing of injured tissues and tissue ischemia.

If you are an active smoker and suffering from such issues, you have to think thrice and more times before doing smoking. It can adversely impact your skin or hair and significantly impact your aesthetics. It is high time that you should stop smoking.

How to quit smoking?

Adopt healthy lifestyle

Wake up early in the morning, do yoga and eat a balanced diet. Do You Know, Yoga is not only good for overall health and internal motivation, but also for skin. You feel overall better and your urge to smoke will reduce.

Know the benefits of - 'Yoga Therapy: A Boon To Overall Health'.

Also, include omega 3 fatty acids foods and supplements in your diet. It is evaluated from an analysis that Omega-3 supplements help to lower the urge for nicotine and number of smoking cigarettes per day.

Counselling

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Take proper counselling. Motivate yourself and think about how you will benefit from quitting smoking. Benefits of quitting smoking involves improved skin, enhanced hair strength, improved lungs health and reduces the risk of suffering from many illnesses.

Medications

Consult with a doctor, take medical advice and replace your smoking habit with nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). This can be OTC (lozenge, patch or gums) or Prescribed treatments (nasal spray or inhaler). This is the best way to quit smoking.

Side effects of smoking involve ill health with imparied skin, hair, heart and lungs after smoking. On the other hand, there are potent health benefits of quitting smoking. Now, the decision is yours.

Choose a healthy lifestyle and bring a charm to your skin. Give your stress and worries a new channel and live a healthy life.

Stress might also be the reason for smoking and unhealthy skin, learn how it impacts skin, overall health and ways to reduce it 'Stress: Hidden Cause Of Acne, Baggy Eyes, & Dull Skin'.

FAQs

What is the age of smoking in India?

18 years, the smoking age in India is 18 years. However, the centre drafted a bill recently to raise the age of allowing sales of cigarettes and tobacco from 18 years to 21 years.

How smoking is bad for you?

Smoking causes lung diseases, imparied skin, hair fall, increases chances of stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and heart diseases.

How does smoking affect your skin?

Smoking leads to dry, dull and aged skin. It may also lead to acne and other serious problems like eczema and psoriasis.

Will my skin improve if I stop smoking?

With the use of good skin care products and following good skin care routine you can improve your skin.

Is smoking weed bad for you?

It is an illegal drug. It can impair your thinking process, increase your appetite, fasten your heart beat, slow your coordination skills, affect your lungs and overall health.