Smoking has devastating repercussions for several organs in your body, but did you know it can also hasten skin aging?
Smoking causes blood vessels to constrict, restricting oxygen and essential nutrients from reaching the outer layers of skin and leading to dull complexion and premature wrinkles.
Collagen and elastin breakdown
Collagen is the body’s most abundant protein and serves as the building blocks for skin, bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments. Collagen provides strength and support to these tissues while remaining flexible to prevent them from sagging or developing wrinkles. With age comes decreased natural production while poor diet, sun exposure or smoking may hasten this decline further.
Smoking restricts blood flow to the skin, depriving it of essential oxygen and nutrients that could aid in its regeneration and leading to faster collagen breakdown than it can regenerate; this results in loss of firmness and elasticity as well as fine lines and wrinkles, uneven tone and rough texture in its wake.
Elastin is a stretchy protein that can stretch and shrink like a rubber band, found mainly in major tissues such as your lungs, large blood vessels and ligaments. You may also find small amounts in your ear cartilage; and other places around your body. Elastin’s yellowish protein structure consists of polypeptide chains linked by short and repeated sequences of three to nine amino acids with proline being key in its formation into protein fibrils in triple helices.
When you frown, elastic elastin in your brow helps your skin recover quickly from contraction. Without enough elastic elastin in your skin, repeated frowning motions over time could leave permanent lines which remain visible even when not furrowing the brow.
Eating foods that promote collagen production can help replenish your supply of this essential protein. Examples include foods rich in glycine, proline and hydroxyproline such as fish, meats, eggs, dairy products, soy beans, nuts and legumes as well as dark chocolate. Hydrating your body by drinking plenty of water as well as eating antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables along with healthy fats from avocados nuts olive oil can also aid in neutralizing free radicals which damage collagen and elastin due to stress alcohol consumption or UV rays from sunlight – helping keep collagen at optimal levels!
Free radical damage
Free radicals play an essential role in biological processes, but too many can cause havoc with healthy cells and lead to oxidative stress, leading to faster tissue degradation and faster aging. Free radicals are made up of atoms or groups of atoms with an odd number of electrons who don’t like being stuck there for too long – they would much rather have two pairs instead! As these free radicals grab onto healthy molecules around them to stabilize themselves they cause damage by attaching themselves directly. This leads to wrinkles, thin hair loss and weak nails as well as other telltale signs of aging!
Free radicals are produced both naturally and externally. They result from mitochondrial electron transport and enzymatic reactions in cells, as well as environmental pollution such as radiation or tobacco smoke [2. When free radical levels exceed antioxidant levels in an imbalance known as oxidative stress is created – damaging DNA, proteins and lipids of biomolecules such as DNA which contributes to cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disorders or cancerous growths.
Cigarette smoke contains many compounds with carcinogenic potential, including free radicals such as semiquinone radical system and reactive oxygen species like superoxide anion (O2*-) and hydroxyl radicals (HO*). Cigarette tar provides an ideal source for ROS production by Fenton reaction which leads to DNA damage through oxidative damage.
Oxidative stress due to excess free radical production can also contribute to atherosclerosis and heart attacks, according to recent research conducted with Electron Paramagnetic Resonance measuring free radical presence in commercially sold cigarettes. Researchers determined that cigarettes contained various concentrations of free radicals with regular cigarettes having the highest concentrations, followed by ultralights having low concentrations.
Cigarette smoking increases free radicals while decreasing vitamins available to fight them, creating a deadly combination. Not only can excessive free radicals hasten aging and cause cell damage, they also deplete vital vitamins necessary for immune function and repair of cells.
Age spots and hyperpigmentation
While smoking poses serious health concerns, it can also have detrimental effects on your appearance. Smoking accelerates skin aging by hastening its process resulting in premature wrinkles, dark spots and discoloration; worsening psoriasis and eczema symptoms as well. One culprit for smoking-related skin damage is nicotine which narrows blood vessels depriving complexion of oxygen and nutrients needed for its health and integrity.
Smokers typically exhibit a grayish, worn complexion due to the loss of collagen and breakdown of other skin proteins. Over time, smokers develop deep wrinkles around lips and eyes (known as “smoker’s lines”) as well as more uneven tone – depending on the length of time a person smoked they could begin seeing these changes as early as their 30s.
Study of twins who differed in smoking habits revealed that the twin who smoked for longer appeared significantly older. While smoking cessation cannot restore youth completely, quitting can at least significantly reverse some signs of aging; one study discovered age spots and hyperpigmentation faded within just one month; another small study reported wrinkles and sallowness decreased as well.
Sun exposure is one of the main contributors to skin discoloration and premature aging, but smoking cigarettes also plays an important role. Exposing your skin to toxic smoke releases free radicals which break down cells more rapidly while increasing your risk for skin cancer.
Green tea, red wine, and cocoa contain antioxidants which may help minimize dark spots caused by smoking. Furthermore, it’s wise to stay clear of tanning beds and always apply daily sun protection measures for best results.
As part of their lifestyle changes, some individuals opt for clinical treatments designed to reverse the negative impacts of smoking on their complexions. Such procedures include chemical peels, laser resurfacing and microneedling with PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma). Though these procedures won’t completely erase wrinkles or discolorations caused by smoking, they can greatly improve skin tone, soften smoker’s lines and redness reduction while diminishing dark spots or uneven pigmentation spots caused by smoking.
