Premature Aging and Wrinkles

Experts agree that smoking accelerates aging, so that smokers look 1.4 years older than nonsmokers, on average. Why the wrinkly face? Smoking hampers the blood supply that keeps skin tissue looking supple and healthy. Giving up the nicotine will stop the progress of damage to your skin caused by smoking.

Smoking Ruins Your Skin

* It causes premature aging of the skin and ruins your complexion.
* Loss of skin glow and vitality.
* It causes premature facial wrinkling and leathery skin.
* Smoking can also lead to crow's feet.
* Smoking causes varicose veins.
* Your skin develops poor healing abilities.
* It can cause skin cancer.
* Improves chances of developing psoriasis.
* It slows your skin’s healing rate.

Smoking reduces the amount of blood flowing to the skin and dries it out. It constructs the tiny capillaries that nourish the skin. Smoking prevents oxygen and nutrients from getting to the skin . Over time, this means the skin loses elasticity and gets more wrinkled. The appearance of wrinkled, pale and grayish skin is four to five times more frequent in smokers than non-smokers. In 1971 an extensive study showed that the facial skin of long-term smokers was so terribly wrinkled that they looked as if they were 20 years older! Talk about not aging well.

Quitting smoking improves the blood supply to the skin and gives previously pale skin a more 'natural' appearance. A smoker's skin is more apt to wrinkle because the skin's vitamin A content is low compared with that for a non-smoker. Vitamin A protects the skin against strong chemical substances that may damage or destroy it. Smoking also gets in the way of absorption of vitamin C - a vital antioxidant for skin protection and health By quitting, you will improve your skin tone and color. You are less likely to get wrinkles around your eyes and mouth from squinting when smoke gets in your eyes and puckering up when you draw on a cigarette.

When you quit smoking, it's true that you can reverse some of the damage. Most of that reversal, however, occurs inside your body. Eight hours after your last cigarette, your body's amount of carbon monoxide (a toxin in cigarettes that robs your body of oxygen) falls to non-smoking levels. Lungs take longer and some of the damage may be irreparable.

Likewise, skin can be very difficult to revive. Cigarette smoke is second only to sun exposure as the leading cause of skin damage. Smoking interferes with the absorption of Vitamin C and A, both of which provide skin protection. Nicotine is a diuretic, promoting dehydration. Smoking also promotes collagen deterioration and often cuts off the blood flow from the surface of the skin, which gives it a dry, pale appearance. In addition, the mechanical actions of smoking (pursing your lips and squinting to keep out smoke) create lines aound the mouth and eyes over time. Since smoking also tends to thin your skin, the damage can accumulate quickly.

And if you think smoking damages just the skin on your face, think again. A study at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor's dermatology clinic demonstrated a link between smoking and wrinkles on the upper arm. Even with the participants' ages taken into account, smokers yielded higher wrinkle scores than non-smokers.

So what can you do if you've quit smoking but still worry about the state of your skin? Start by focusing on diet and exercise. Exercise can help bring blood to the surface of your skin and begins to replenish the capillaries with oxygen. Make sure to avoid alcohol and caffeine, which further dehydrate skin. Eat a well-balanced diet to nourish your skin and take Vitamin A and C supplements.

For drastic improvements, it may be time to see your dermatologist. He or she can offer stronger grade peels and resurfacing treatments that will help smooth out or plump up your wrinkles. For more severe wrinkles, you can try Botox or Restylane injections, but both can be pricey.

If your budget doesn't allow for expensive treatments, opt for home cosmetic products with alpha-hydroxy or glycolic acid. DDF's Glycolic 10% Toning Complex will help exfoliate dead skin cells, but be sure to follow with a good moisturizer to counteract its drying effects.

For smokers who have yet to quit, keep in mind that skin damage accumulates and is more difficult to reverse as you age. In addition, women are more easily addicted to nicotine than men and find it much more difficult to quit successfully.

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