Quit Smoking for Your Skin

Smoking accelerates the natural aging process of your skin, leading to premature facial wrinkling in both men and women. 

Younger smokers who look in the mirror today probably won’t notice any significant sign of aging beyond the normal wear-and-tear, but there’s something sinister going on beneath the surface of your skin.

Smoking-related changes to your skin don’t appear instantaneously; wrinkles in the face and inner arms may remain dormant for years and only start to appear after a decade of smoking.

The nicotine in cigarette smoke leads to a shrinking or narrowing of the blood vessels in the outermost layers of the skin, impairing the blood flow and depriving the skin of oxygen and essential nutrients. Also contributing to wrinkles and sagging skin are the 4,000 chemicals found in tobacco smoke, which damage the skin’s collagen and elastin, two key proteins that give the skin its strength and durability.

Although the effects of tobacco smoke on the skin is not easily reversed, quitting today can help you recapture your youthful glow and reduce the severity of wrinkles and the unpleasant yellowing or discoloration of the skin.

Need some help staying committed to your quit? Start by making a Monday Quit Plan today!