Research has shown the damaging effects of smoking to almost every organ in the human body. In the United States, smoking causes one out of every five deaths. But did you also know that the effects of smoking can also greatly impact your looks. The following are 6 ways smoking is ruining your appearance.
Under Eye Bags
Physicians and hospitals have a wealth of medical technological advances at their fingertips today to track and assist patients through their health and wellness journey. Although this evolution has helped them fight diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart ailments, you still need to maintain a healthy body by exercising and eating right. If you’re a smoker, you probably are aware that cigarettes are harmful to your brain, lungs and heart. It can also cause under eye bags. Smokers are four times more likely to feel unrested after slumber than individuals who don’t smoke. The nicotine withdrawal that you experience while resting could be to blame for your tossing and turning. Remember, poor sleep habits don’t equate to pretty.
Unsettling Smile
If you’ve been thinking about quitting, finances and health are just a few of the reasons to give up smoking for good. Smoking cigarettes also causes bad breath and poor dental hygiene. From veneers to toothpastes, there are a number of products on the market today that help people achieve a dazzling set of choppers. If you’re a smoker, your dreams of a Hollywood smile may be more like a nightmare because the nicotine found in cigarettes is the primary cause for yellow and stained teeth. While you can professionally pay to have your teeth whitened, it can be a costly addition to your cigarette habit.
Wrinkles and Premature Aging
When you’re young, you may think that you look cool with a cigarette dangling from your lips. Unfortunately, the wrinkles and premature aging that comes with smoking looks far from pretty in your 20s and 30s. Your appearance will become more hardened as you age and continue smoking. Research shows that smoking boosts the aging process by 1.5 years over those who don’t smoke. Because tobacco restrains the blood flow to your face, neck and body, your skin won’t be able to retain its youthful appearance. Smoking cessation products have been around for several years to help this particular side effect of smoking.
Thinning Hair
As if premature aging, sagging skin and wrinkles weren’t enough to contend with, smoking can also do damage to your hair follicles. The toxic chemicals found in cigarettes are the primary culprit behind the thinning hair. Men who smoke are twice as likely to lose their hair than their non-smoking counterparts. If you’re a woman, you’ll probably go gray more quickly and have thinner hair than your female friends who don’t smoke.
Slows Down Healing
If you’re mindful of a healthy body, certain superfoods such as broccoli, tomatoes, soy and black beans boost the body’s immune system and speed up healing. But if you’re a smoker and want to correct the damage done to your face through cosmetic surgery, smoking has been shown to slow down healing. Your physician many not even perform various procedures such as tooth extractions, face-lifts, tummy tucks and periodontal processes until after you’ve kicked the habit.
Skin Cancer
Using sun block and staying out of the sun during peak times of the day can help prevent skin cancer, wrinkles and brown patches. As the leading contributor to esophageal, lung, throat and mouth cancer, it should come as no surprise that smoking also boosts your chances of skin cancer. Because of cigarettes harmful effects to the immune system of the body, just a few tobacco sticks a day can be enough to lead to squamous cell carcinoma.
The beauty industry is a booming business that showcases millions of ways for people to look good. Although there are no tried and true ways to turn back the hands of time, there’s one proven way to damage your appearance and look older: begin to smoke.