There is no shortage of reasons to quit smoking — from cutting your risk of developing cardiovascular disease to reducing your chances of getting various types of cancer. Chances are, you are already aware of these facts. Yet did you know that ditching the cigarettes might be the single most important step to avoiding the dreaded wrinkles and creases associated with physical aging.
Old habits die hard but the following ugly truths on how smoking affects your skin may make it easier to convince you to go cold turkey… today.
- Cigarette smoking delays the healing process. Nicotine in cigarette smoke forces the blood vessels to become perpetually constricted. As a result, skin care problems that require healing take long periods to fully recover.
- Blood vessel constriction can also lead to dwindling levels of collagen and elastin. These naturally occurring proteins are the building blocks of naturally youthful skin. Cigarette smoking depletes your body’s collagen and elastin supply quickly. Reduced levels of collagen and elastin will eventually lead to the premature appearance of wrinkles and folds.
- Smokers are more susceptible to scaly skin conditions such as psoriasis. Several studies have shown that this has to do with how nicotine in cigarette smoke binds with T-cells, one of the components of the immune system, and possible alters their function.
Quitting smoking can have a profound impact not only on your health but also on the overall state of your skin.
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