As we know, smoking is injurious for health, but it effects our skin too. I tried to find what are the positive and negative effects of smoking on skin, and unfortunately I cannot find any positive effects.
Today at Spheremedium, I’ll share with you five effects of smoking on skin. So if you’re a smoker or you have any family or friends that smoke, you might want to continue reading and pass on this information to them.
However, before sharing info about the effects of smoking on skin, do you know what PACK-YEARS is?
So a pack of cigarettes has 20 cigarette sticks, so if you smoke one pack a day and you’ve been smoking for the past 10 years, that means you have 10pack years. Similarly ,if you smoke one pack a day and you’ve been smoking for the past 30 years, it means that you are in the category of 30 pack years, but if you smoke two packs a day, and you’ve been smoking for the past 15 years, you have the same risk as someone who has smoked just one pack a day for the past30 years .
EFFECTS OF SMOKING ON SKIN:
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1.PREMATURE AGING
The first effect of smoking on skin is premature aging. It’s been scientifically proven that smoking causes premature aging.
One study done by the Koreans in 2001 shows correlation between wrinkles and smoking, they followed around 400 men and women in South Korea .Some were smokers, some mild smokers and some didn’t smoke, so they noticed that women who smoked suffered from premature aging at much quicker rate compared to men that smoked.
It means the onset of wrinkles for a woman that smokes appears much earlier in women who smoke less than 10 pack years .Their occurrence of wrinkles is 50 percent much quicker than women who didn’t smoke and those women that had 50 pack year had five times more wrinkles or five times quicker onset of wrinkles is seen as compared to the counterparts who never smoked .
In terms of men, it’s slightly different, the men that smoked did not show a higher incidence of wrinkle appearance compared to men that didn’t smoke, however, men reported increased appearance of seborrheic keratosis.
SEBORRHEIC Keratosis is this benign, small skin tag or skin tumor that sits on skin, especially on the neck and on the face.
Psoriasis:
The second effect of smoking on skin is that it triggers psoriasis . Psoriasis is a chronic skin issue where there is thickening of the skin throughout the entire body or at certain parts of the body.
Now psoriasis is difficult to treat, and there is no definite reason why psoriasis appears, but now we know that Psoriasis is actually a multifactorial disease means it’s caused by many things from genetics as well as from smoking.
It was discovered in a study that Smoking increases the risk of psoriasis. If the smoker had less than 10 pack years, he has a19 percent chance of developing psoriasis or 19 percent higher chances than someone who has never smoked in their life, but if you smoke more than 10pack years risk jumps from 19 to 270. That means the more you smoke, the higher the risk of psoriasis.
3.Atopic dermatitis:
The third effect of smoking on skin is that it may cause atopic dermatitis or skin allergies. Those suffering from skin allergies generally have higher level of ige, which is immunoglobulin e. IG is part of immune system and gets triggered when exposed to things that cause allergy.
When smoking the smoker not only inhale smoke, their lips and tongue comes in contact with the filter, which has a lot of allergens like formaldehyde, and when a smoker is exposed to these allergens on a daily basis, his body gets sensitized .
Sensitization means developing an allergic reaction over time and not overnight. IGE levels of smokers are roughly at the level of 300 international units, compared to someone who has stopped smoking, which is half the amount of 177, whereas non-smokers have less than30. That means if you’re currently an active smoker, you have 10 times more ige compared to someone who has never smoked in their life, and hence your risk of developing chronic eczemas or sensitive skin is much higher compared to people who have never smoked, so hence smoking causes skin sensitivity.
4.Balding:
The fourth effect of smoking on skin is that it causes balding . According to a study that followed about 740 people in Taiwan they found that men who smoked above the age of 40 have a higher rate of male pattern baldness as compared to the counterparts who have never smoked in their lives.
So if you value your hair, please stop smoking.
5. Reduced wound healing:
The fifth and final effect of smoking on skin is reduced wound healing. Smoking reduces microcirculation, which means blood flow to certain parts of the body is reduced, which is needed for healing the wound.
Due to reduced or slow wound healing, smokers are more inclined to have mouth ulcers and bruises on skin.
Gangrene: Another effect of smoking on skin, which mostly effects diabetics who smoke too, is they have an increased risk of developing gangrene at lower limbs. They have reduced sensation in toes and at foot so If they happen to step on a sharp object, whether it’s a nail or glass.
Due to the reduction in sensation and reduce wound healing, wounds generally tend to get affected and over time become gangrenous ,which is a very dangerous condition where the outcome is chopping off of that part.
So that’s all about effects of smoking on skin .Do share with smokers you know and let me know in the comments below whether you agree or disagree with our findings and do share if I’ve missed any.
Frequently Asked Questions about
How does smoking cause aging?
Smoking causes premature aging because it degrades collagen and elastin more quickly than nonsmokers
What is smokers face?
Its is characterized by very thin, atrophic skin, which is due to the breakdown of collagen in skin .
. Are there any effects of smoking on skin?
Yes, smoking causes premature aging and thinking of skin; often smokers are more inclined to have sensitive skin and bruising due to reduced wound healing
I am a dentist, baker, and fitness and health enthusiast with a passion for living life to the fullest. I am foodie and explorer, always seeking new adventures and flavors. Currently working on my own skincare brand.
