There’s a long list of reasons to stop 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 could 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 ASAP:
- Cigarette smoking delays the healing process. This has to do with how the nicotine in cigarette smoke forces the blood vessels to be perpetually constricted. As a result, skin care problems that require healing may take a while to fully recover.
- The 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 possibly alters their function.
Smoking cessation has a positive and profound impact on your health and the overall appearance of your skin.
If smoking has already led to wrinkles around the mouth, call us at Profile MD, 410-544-4600. Let’s first have a conversation about smoking cessation. Dr. VanAntwerp has preventive medicine ideas to share with you as you journey towards a more healthy lifestyle. Our doctors would also tell you about the Erbium Laser for erasing vertical lines around the mouth. Dermal fillers are a wonderful addition to laser treatment for perioral lines and wrinkles. You will find many solutions at the Profile MD. Consultations are free.
