Description

If you do decide to stop smoking, please don't dress like the dude in the picture. I'd rather have blackened lungs and emphysema than look like that guy.

But anyway... smoking is bad for your skin for numerous reasons. I'm sure you know most of them, but here's a partial list from vivawoman.net:

"It is a fact that the accumulated nicotine from smoking causes narrowing of the blood vessels in the outermost layers of your skin, reduces blood flow to the skin, depriving the skin cells of vital oxygen and robbing it of even more nutrients. Besides reducing the body’s store of vitamin A which protects against skin damage and vitamin C which protects against free radicals, studies have also shown that smoking reduces the production of collagen and elastin and in some reports, by up to 40%. As a result, skin begins to sag and wrinkle prematurely.

Smoking also adversely affects the nerve endings in the skin, causing sensitivity and has a drying effect on the skin, causing dehydration and eventually wrinkles. And it’s not just the face as according to an article from BBC News, Research in Archives of Dermatology showed that smoking ages skin across the body, including the inner upper arms.

All these plus repeated exposure to the heat from burning cigarettes and facial expressions such as squinting of eyes and puckering of lips during smoking can eventually contribute to more prematured wrinkles."

I'm a smoker, and I'm relatively sure that quitting is going to be the hardest thing I've ever had to do. When I do give it a serious go, I'm using the smokefree.gov website for ideas and help.

Updated Sep 2, 2008