While the detrimental health effects of smoking are known to all, it particularly damages your skin leading up to problems like skin cancer, psoriasis and pre-mature ageing.
Smoking damages your skin and leads to many health hazards
HIGHLIGHTS
- Smoking your skin's moisture content leading upto psoriasis
- Excessive smoking makes your ageing clock tick faster
- In most cases, smoking also leads to skin cancer
We all know that smoking has various detrimental health effects like Cancer, Asthma , Cardiovascular Problems etc. But smoking can also have a major impact on your skin and eyes which is as fatal as any other health problem. The nicotine present in cigarettes aides the secretion of hormones like-dopamine which eases out your senses and gives you a temporary relief. But if you have been smoking excessively for quite a long time, it might reflect on your skin. It not just makes it pale and dull but also degenerates the tissues.
Here are 5 ways through which smoking deteriorates your skin health and makes you age faster-
1. Leads to Psoriasis
Smoking for long hours makes your skin lose its moisture which eventually makes your skin rough and flaky. The reduction of moisture content in your skin paves way for a disease called Psoriasis which gradually degenerates the upper layer of your skin and makes it look dark and ugly.
2. Causes Skin Cancer
Smoking injects high quantities of cancer-causing Nicotine in your Body. Whenever you blow out those rings in air, a new cancer cell is generated. These cells grow rapidly and slows down the body's metabolic process by cutting the oxygen supply to the cells of your body. This leads to a disease called squamous cell carcinoma which is a form of skin cancer.
Also read Is it safe to smoke herbal cigarettes
Smoking causes changes in the skin on a cellular level
Photo Credit: iStock
3. Damages your connective tissue
The fibroblasts that has an essential function of connecting the tissues of your skin gets damaged when you consume nicotine in high amounts. This leads up to problems like skin-dryness, itchiness, loss of moisture content and fungal attack.
Also Read Doctor NDTV : Health Information On Skin Cancer
4. Makes your ageing clock tick faster
The reduction of moisture content on the upper layer of your skin slows down your body's metabolic process. This makes your skin over-sensitive and receptive to attack of various harmful bacteria. All this makes you age faster and make you prone to many health hazards.
5. Worsens Healing Mechanism
Excessive smoking also worsens your body's healing mechanism and rejuvenation power. Hence smokers take longer time to heal from any injury/ wound as compared to non-smokers. Nicotine present in cigarettes is a vasoconstrictor which makes the arteries swell. This inhibits the body's healing ability. Another component which impedes the healing process is Carbon Monoxide which acts as an inhibitor to oxygen supplying system.
DoctorNDTV is the one stop site for all your health needs providing the most credible health information, health news and tips with expert advice on healthy living, diet plans, informative videos etc. You can get the most relevant and accurate info you need about health problems like diabetes, cancer, pregnancy, HIV and AIDS, weight loss and many other lifestyle diseases. We have a panel of over 350 experts who help us develop content by giving their valuable inputs and bringing to us the latest in the world of healthcare.
