10 Ways smoking ruins your looks
Ronit began to worry when he started noticing a widening bald patch develop from his hairline. At 28 years of age and with no family history of baldness, he wondered what made him succumb to the condition. After going through a series of medical check-ups Ronit’s doctor advised him that his habit of smoking had caused him to develop major thyroid problems. These in turn were leading to an early onset of male pattern baldness.
Smoking is a major vice of our times. Yet, quitting it is a battle that must be fought and won. Here are the top 10 ways that smoking ruins your looks and why you must stub out that cigarette.
Early onset of wrinkles
One of the by-products of cigarette smoke is carbon monoxide which is known to displace oxygen levels in the blood. Constant exposure to cigarette smoke – even as a passive smoker – makes your skin appear dull and leads to the early onset of wrinkles. Moreover, cigarette smoke depletes your skin’s natural content of Vitamin C which is needed for growth and repair of cells.
Lines around the lips
Chain-smokers tend to develop lines around the mouth caused due to puckering of the lips. Also called smoker’s lines, these mouth wrinkles can prove unsightly and quite hard to get rid of.
Bags under the eyes
Studies show that smokers are five times as likely as non-smokers to wake up feeling tired. This can occur due to several reasons. One being that symptoms of nicotine withdrawal lead to restlessness and thyroid problems. Thus, smokers often develop deep and puffy eye bags.
Slows down healing
Constant exposure to nicotine can narrow your blood vessels and restrict blood flow to your face and other parts of your body. Thus, smokers often find unusual scars developing over their face and other parts of the body. Moreover, wounds take longer to heal. Thus, if you smoke and need to undergo any kind of surgery, even dental, do make sure to limit your consumption of cigarettes or quit, prior to your operation.
Cause of skin diseases
Studies show that smokers have a greater susceptibility to skin diseases such as psoriasis and rosacea. To be fair, these autoimmune diseases can show up in anyone, however a regular smoker’s immune system is far weaker as the carbon monoxide weakens oxygen flow in the blood.Cigarette smoke also contains carcinogens which are known to cause skin cancer.
Leads to stained teeth
Ever seen a smoker’s teeth? They are either stained yellow or light brown in the front. Often the enamel on the inside of the mouth is completely peeled away and the tooth is brown or black due to the constant tar and nicotine passing through. Cutting down on cigarettes means you’ll save yourself some pretty expensive visits to the dentist in the near future.
Causes brittle hair
The carbon monoxide exhaled when you smoke affects your skin and hair. The oxygen supply to your hair follicles gets cut down and this affects scalp health. Due to poor blood circulation, smokers are more likely than others to face problems such as hair loss and hair breakage. Quitting smoking will also rid you of that nasty ashtray-odour in your hair and beard.
Can aggravate baldness
Baldness depends on genes. However, research shows that smokers are more likely than non-smokers to fall prey to baldness.This applies for both male pattern baldness and female pattern baldness. Smoking can aggravate many underlying health issues such as thyroid problems and hypertension. These often manifest their external symptoms on the hair and skin.
Leads to gum disease
Prolonged chain-smoking is known to lead to all kinds of mouth and throat diseases. This includes periodontitis, throat cancer, gum disease, and mouth cancer. These can leave you missing a portion of your gum and a few teeth. Thus, smoking simply isn’t worth the disfigurement and painful treatments.
10Leads to crow’s feet
Smokers tend to squint to keep the cigarette smoke from entering their eyes. This leads to the development of unsightly crow’s feet, also known as eye wrinkles. Moreover, damage to the skin and eye cells from cigarette emissions cause skin around the eye to sag and may even lead to formation of cataracts.
