Smoking cigarettes and cigars has long been known to be a chief contributor to lung cancer. However, this deadly disease is not the only side effect that comes with smoking, which also has been linked to premature aging, specifically age spots and wrinkles.
Function
Cigarettes contain nicotine, an addictive substance found in tobacco that the lungs absorb every time a person inhales a cigarette. When a person smokes, the nicotine causes the blood vessels that lie on the outermost layers of your skin to constrict. Because the vessels are much smaller, blood is not able to flow through them as easily. Blood is not the only thing found in these vessels--nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin C and oxygen also must reach the skin to maintain its healthy appearance. Over time, this causes wrinkling and damage.
Effects
Constricted blood vessels are not the only effect from smoking that results in wrinkles. Tobacco contains chemicals--4,000 in fact--that can break down collagen and elastin. These substances are responsible for maintaining your skin's elasticity and begin to diminish as we age. Therefore, a breakdown in these results in saggy or wrinkled skin, which can make a smoker appear much older than a non-smoker.
Considerations
The very act of smoking can lead to wrinkles. Frequently pursing the lips to drag on the cigarette begins to break down the skin's elasticity around the mouth from overuse. Squinting while puffing can cause wrinkling around the eyes as well.
Potential
A cigarette's ingredients and the facial expressions a person makes to smoke all can lead to increased wrinkling and accelerated aging of the skin. According to OhioHealth, the longer and more often a person smokes, the more damage that can be sustained to the skin. Also, this premature wrinkling has the potential to extend beyond the face to other parts of the body, such as the arms.
Prevention/Solution
The best way to prevent wrinkles due to cigarette smoking is not to smoke in the first place, or if you smoke, to quit. While many treatments are associated with ridding the body of wrinkles--such as chemical peels, laser resurfacing and microdermabrasion--a person is better off from a health standpoint by quitting smoking entirely. Because smoking cosmetically affects the body--including wrinkling, dark spots and stained teeth--those who are concerned about their appearance should consider quitting entirely.
