Smoking and Premature Skin Ageing

Epidemiological evidence suggest that tobacco smoking is a contributing factor in several skin diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriasis, palmoplantar pustulosis, cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, hidradenitis suppurativa, and genital warts.

The evidence is certainly mounting up that smoking is not good for your skin.

Since the 1970's studies have shown that smoking accelerates the skin ageing process in the skin.

Ageing of the skin means that it droops, develops wrinkles and lines and can become dry and coarse with uneven skin colouring and broken blood vessels (telangiectasia).

Smokers can appear gaunt and develop an orange or grey complexion.

Lines around the eyes called “crow's feet” can develop at an earlier age.

Multiple vertical lines around the mouth also occur and are called “smokers-lines”.

These effects continue into old age. By the age of 70 years, smoking 30 cigarettes a day could lead to the equivalent of an extra 14 years of skin ageing.

How does smoking cause ageing of the skin?

It is not certain exactly how smoking causes early ageing of the facial skin. Theories include:

• Heat from the cigarette directly burning the skin
• Changes in the elastic fibres of the skin
• Narrowing of blood vessels (vasoconstriction), which reduces blood supply to the skin and can cause changes in skin elastic fibres and loss of collagen
• Reducing Vitamin A levels and moisture of the skin

Tobacco smoke contains a complex mixture of gaseous and particulate compounds besides nicotine. Several of these may have the potential to exert physiologic and pharmacologic effects that impair wound healing and contribute to smoking-related disorders.

Smoking produces systemic immunomodulatory effects modifies your body’s immune system through the release of reactive oxygen species (ROS) from tobacco smoke. This is believed to cause a cascade of detrimental effects on normal inflammatory cell function (by attenuating phagocytosis and bactericidal mechanisms, as well as by increasing the release of proteolytic enzymes).

In addition, collagen* synthesis and the deposition of mature collagen in the extracellular matrix are reduced through smoking.

Unhealthy yellowish hue to your complexion, deeply wrinkled, leathery skin …..

These signs can be greatly diminished, and in some cases avoided, by stopping smoking.

Even people who have smoked for many years, or smoked heavily at a younger age, show less facial wrinkling and improved skin tone when they quit smoking.

References

1. Thomsen S, Sørensen L. Smoking and Skin Disease. Skin Therapy Letter. 2010 Jun;15(6):4-7.
2. DermNet NZ

Picture 1 Premature Ageing

Conduct Your Own Research

1. Click on those words underlined in green for a pictorial description of the skin disease.
2. If you want to know more on the Adverse Effects of Smoking and Smoking Cessation go to LABELS on the next column of this page and click on SMOKING CESSATION.
   
3. Go to “SEARCH THIS BLOG” and you can search for specific subject like for example, COLD TURKEY, where you will be directed to 4 postings we had made on this method of smoking cessation.

*Collagen is a protein (a biological polymer consisting of amino acids) that serves as a key structural component of connective tissue such as skin, bones, ligaments, etc. Dermis, the inner layer of the skin, contains large amounts of collagen whose fibers form a supporting mesh responsible for skin's mechanical characteristics such as strength, texture and resilience.

As any material, collagen is subject to wear and tear: it slowly breaks down over time. Skin cells called fibroblasts are capable of producing collagen. When needed, fibroblasts replace broken collagen fibers with new ones. Unfortunately, as we age the skin's ability to replace damaged collagen diminishes and more gaps and irregularities develop in the collagen mesh. This process eventually leads to wrinkles.

Many factors contributing to accelerated collagen breakdown can be fully or partially neutralized. They include sun damage, free radicals, some age-related hormonal changes, and smoking.

Thus, one important target of wrinkle prevention and elimination regimen is to reduce collagen breakdown and increase its supply. This task is achievable but you have to go about it in the right way.