Most people will know the many damaging effects of smoking on overall health. However, there are specific concerns for skincare of which you may be unaware. If you needed another reason or motivation to quit smoking, learning about the ways it affects your skin might help. 

4 Ways That Smoking Damages Your Skin 

1. Causes Blemishes 

Nicotine destroys your skin tissue, so it often creates stretch marks, yellow fingers, and general looseness. Over time, you lose the healthy glow you might have once had because nicotine dries out your skin, in addition to driving out oxygen and essential nutrients. If you’re prone to eczema, your cigarette smoke may trigger flare-ups. Also, smokers tend to sleep restlessly--possibly due to the lack of nicotine during the night--so you develop more prominent bags and dark circles under your eyes. A strict skincare regimen may downplay these effects, but it can’t take them away. 

2. Inhibits Healing 

Since nicotine also constricts blood vessels, your body has more difficulty receiving the oxygen-rich blood that it needs to heal from wounds and injuries. Although you will eventually heal, it will take you longer than a non-smoker, and you’re likely to be left with a prominent scar if you had an open wound or surgery. 

3. Accelerates Aging 

No matter what skincare products you use, smoking will make you appear to look older than you are. This is because the cigarette burns your skin while the nicotine damages the fibers that are supposed to keep it tight. The nicotine also gets rid of your supply of nutrients, including vitamin A, which is essential for moisturizing your skin. As a result, your skin looks flabbier, duller, and wrinklier than that of a non-smoker of the same age. 

4. Contributes to Serious Medical Conditions 

There are several infections that you are more prone to developing because you smoke. The list includes genital warts, psoriasis, strep, staph, hidradenitis suppurativa, lupus of the skin, and various vascular conditions. Oral diseases are common as well, such as hairy tongue, thrush, and gingivitis, to name a few. This is in large part because smoking weakens the immune system, making you far more susceptible to both bacterial and viral infections. 

Additionally, smoking increases the risk that you’ll develop skin cancer. Not only that, but it causes your body to have more difficulty fighting melanoma than a non-smoker would. 

If you’re trying to quit smoking and want some advice for a skincare routine that can revive your healthy glow, contact Central Carolina Dermatology Clinic in High Point, NC. Should you develop melanoma or another type of skin cancer as a result of smoking, they also offer non-invasive treatment options to help you recover. For details about their services, call them today at (336) 887-3195 or check out their website.