Most info relayed about the hazards of smoking centers on the internal effects of the bad habit: cancer, heart disease, emphysema, indigestion etc. But smoking also affects the external body, the skin in particular. Thus, a good reason to quit smoking is to keep the skin looking youthful and healthy—smokers tend to have skin that looks as wrinkly as a dried up prune!
So why does smoking contribute to early wrinkling? Here are 5 of the main smoking factors contributing to baggy, saggy, splotchy skin:
- Decreased Collagen: Smoking decreases the collagen levels in the skin; collagen is a group of proteins responsible for the skin’s elasticity.
- Decreased Oxygen: Smoking contributes to lower oxygen levels in the body which in turn causes the surface area of the body, the skin, to be poorly oxygenated.
- Poor Circulation: Smoking negatively affects the body’s circulatory system and therefore prevents blood capillaries from reaching and nourishing the upper layers of the skin.
- Nicotine: The blood capillaries that are able to reach the upper layers of the skin are constricted by nicotine, making them smaller in size and less nutritionally effective.
- Slow Healing: Smoking meddles with the body’s ability to heal, the skin included. Hence, skin wrinkles easier and is more prone to sores and scarring.
It may seem a bit superficial, but smoking’s negative impact on the skin is a very compelling reason to quit the dangerous psychosocial habit. While many people claim that it is too difficult to quit smoking, that line of thinking is utter nonsense; in fact, the core belief that quitting smoking is impossible is what makes it impossible. Quitting smoking is a very attainable goal for people who are willing to put in the time and effort.
One method that is particularly helpful vis-à-vis smoking cessation is quit smoking hypnosis. Quit smoking hypnosis helps smoker’s identify the core beliefs and thought processes that keep them smoking, enabling them to re-wire such faulty thinking so that they no longer depend on cigarettes for emotional gratification or stress relief. Quit smoking hypnosis is no easy task, but it is a worthwhile task; the long-term health benefits, such as healthier, younger looking skin, are very much worth the effort.
Smoking is a psychosocial habit that contributes to the development of wrinkly skin. If you are someone you know is struggling with a smoking habit, and are concerned about how it could be negatively impacting your skin, please contact us for more details or share your own ideas and experiences with us on Twitter.