If you need one more reason to quit smoking, here it is.  Smoking is terrible for your skin.

The blood in our bodies transports oxygen and nutirents throughout our system and to our organs, the largest of which is our skin.  When a person inhales tobacco smoke, highly toxic carbon monoxide displaces the oxygen that our blood should be absorbing from our breath and is delivered throughout the body in it’s place.  Additionally the nicotine in cigarettes narrows the blood vessels in the outer most layers of skin.  This impairs blood flow to the area resulting in an even further depletion of the oxygen (as well and many other nutrients) needed to keep skin cells healthy.

Tobacco smoke blocks the absorption of the essential nutrient Vitamin C in our bodies.  Among it’s many functions, Vitamin C is responsible for the preservation of collagen in our skin.  Damaged collagen leads to loss of tone and elasticity as well as deep wrinkling.  Smoking also reduces the bodies supply of Vitamin A which helps the skin protect itself from sun damage and regulates the production of oil in the skin.

There is a cocktail of 4000+ chemicals in cigarette smoke that includes ammonia and arsenic.  Inhaling these toxins forces our liver into overdrive in an effort to expel them.  This compromises the livers ability to perform it’s normal functions which causes the skin to take on a yellow or gray cast.

Repeated puckering and squinting results in deep wrinkles around the mouth and eyes.

So, can the damage be reversed?  Truthfully, if you have been a life long smoker, probably not completely.  But healthy choices, including a quality skincare routine, can do a lot towards making skin look young and vibrant again.  And remember, if you are a new smoker who had yet to see the effects of smoking on your skin, much of this damage can’t be seen until 10-20 years after beginning smoking.  The choices we make, good or bad, have a cumulative effect on our skin.  Making healthy choices today will help to insure you are looking your best tomorrow.