SMOKING AND YOUR SKIN

The Ugly Truth

Smoking ages your skin at an alarming rate that may result in the following symptoms: Even for those in their 30s, the difference in the number of lines is stark. By the mid-50s, the gap is dramatic.

• Loss of elasticity
• Changes in skin texture
• The development of wrinkles
• The appearance of patchy areas of pigmentation
• Diminished quantity of hair
• The skin may assume a thin, glossy surface
• A bloated stomach or pot-belly (caused by hormonal disruption)
• Spindly legs (the oestrogen effect again)
• Lines around the mouth, caused by puffing on cigarettes, and around the eyes - squinting is a natural reaction against smoke.
• A possible increase in facial and body hair; giving a generally 'hairier' look.

The Independent - 5th August 1999
 
Free radicals:
Tests by St Thomas' Hospital's Twin Research Unit in London have shown the skin of smokers is 40pc thinner than that of non-smokers - and therefore more wrinkly. Chemicals in cigarettes put pressure on the body's metabolism, increasing production of damaging waste products known as free radicals. Dr Tim Spector, director of the unit, says: 'With time, these speed up the ageing of the cells, breaking down collagen and elastic tissue in the skin. Blood supply to the top layer of skin may be restricted.'

Teenagers:
Smokers who start in their teens can soon expect their skin to show the effects. By their 20s wrinkles will start appearing, particularly around the eyes and mouth. After another ten years, smokers develop dry skin and a grey pallor. Because their skin has less elastin, smokers in their 40s have facial wrinkles similar to those of non-smokers in their 60s. As smokers enter their 50s their skin looks leathery. Daily Mail August 12 1997