What Smoking Does To Your Skin

It’s not too late to quit smoking if you haven’t made it as one of your new year’s resolutions yet. Smoking damages so much of your body – your teeth, tongue, throat, internal organs and EVEN YOUR SKIN. Yes, smoking contributes to skin damage as well. Here’s how:

• Premature Aging – The chemicals found in cigarettes and tobacco makes the breakdown of elastin and collagen much quicker. These two are responsible for keeping your skin looking younger and moisturized.
• Drier Skin – Smoking robs your skin of its oxygen supply and also decreases the levels of vitamin A, making your skin look drier, which can lead to early formation of wrinkles.
• Uneven Skin Tones – Weaker skin means it’s easier for your capillaries to break, and for your blood vessels to dilate. This causes redness and makes your skin more prone to inflammation. Imagine having red patches of skin next to a smooth-looking complexion. Doesn’t look good does it?
• Clogged Pores – the particles from the cigarette smoke can sometimes clog up the pores around your mouth area, making you more prone to getting acne breakouts.

Heavy smokers in general look much older than people who do not smoke, and this is on top of the increased risk of getting oral and lung cancers. For the sake of not just your health but also your appearance, think about slowly quitting the habit. There are many programs available and a plethora of resources found on the web, like Tobacco-Free Florida.