Have you ever wondered if smoking cigarettes affects your skin condition ? There are no two ways around it as smoking causes
numerous physical disorders.
When it comes to smoking, there are definitely effects to the skin, long and short-term. Smoking causes a constriction or closing of the vascular system, including the already weak capillaries that transport blood to and from your face. What you are doing by smoking is, in essence, suffocating your cells by causing less oxygen and vital nutrients to be transported throughout your body. Less oxygen to the cells means less nourishment and a decreased ability to get rid of toxins. This can show up as gray-looking skin-skin that is lacking oxygen.
Smoking affects collagen, and if you've ever seen a heavy smoker's skin up close, they tend to have a lot of fine lines and wrinkles. Smoking causes a loss of healthy collagen, which creates wrinkles through collagen breakdown. Add to this the constant pursing that occurs around the lips as the mouth hugs the cigarette, and you have a recipe for increased wrinkling; it happens partly from the cigarettes themselves and partly due to the constant motion smoking causes with the facial muscles.