Many people are aware of the dangers to the lungs and the heart that result from smoking. However, not as many may be aware of how smoking affects the largest organ of the body: the skin.
Perhaps, smokers don’t respond to warnings about heart disease, emphysema, and several types of cancer because they cannot see it in the mirror. If smokers continue to smoke, however, not only will they have problems internally, but also externally for the whole world to see.
What is “smoker’s face”?
“Smoker’s face” is a term coined in 1985 by Dr. Douglas Model. During his long-term study on the effects of smoking on the skin, he observed physical changes that occurred on the skin of smokers which were not observed on the skin of non-smokers. Dr. Model noted that “these characteristics were typical of long-term smokers and could be observed regardless of the age of the smoker, their weight, or the degree of their exposure to the sun.”
The physical characteristics of smoker’s face are:
• Dry and dehydrated skin
• Dull, lifeless color
• Prominent lines and wrinkles that occur in places that they do not occur on the face of a non-smoker. These lines and wrinkles often appear on a smoker’s face years before they would on a non-smoker’s face.
• Loss of elasticity
• Thinning of the skin
• Areas of mottled discoloration
The combination of these characteristics not only make a person look much older than they actually are, but also very unhealthy. The dull and dehydrated complexion combined with the thinning skin and lost elasticity causes the skin to appear drawn and sunken in, resulting in the facial bone structure to be visible. Add in the lines, wrinkles, and discoloration and the skin gets a very tough, leathery look and feel. All of this is due to the physiological changes that happen to the skin from smoking.
How smoking affects the functions of the skin
So how and why does smoking cause these physical characteristics of the skin? There are a few reasons. First and foremost, smoking asphyxiates the skin; meaning that it depletes the skin of oxygen and nutrients. This happens because the toxins, chemicals, and carbon monoxide inhaled in cigarette smoke cause the blood vessels to constrict, which slows the circulation of blood and nutrients to the skin. The tiny capillaries located near the skin’s surface are not receiving any nutrients, so they respond by dilating (permanently) to allow for more circulation of blood, nutrients, and oxygen. This causes them to be visible, which is known as “broken capillaries”.
Article comments
1 - blahblah
ewwww have you heard of black hairy tongue? it is also an affect of smoking and it is just plain disgusting *blech*
2 - Rachael @ Holistically Haute
No, but EEEEEW. Yet another reason to quit.