Quit Smoking:
Smoking, Can it Harm my Skin?

by: Wendy Owen

Yes it can harm it in several ways. Here are more reasons to quit smoking now.

Skin is fed from within. The foods we eat are broken down into nutrients and waste. The nutrients are absorbed by the bloodstream, which transports them around the body to the various organs, the largest of which is the skin. Oxygen is also transported and delivered in the same way. The cells absorb the oxygen and this is vital for the health of the organs and the life process itself. This whole process takes place automatically when we breathe. . .

Except when we are breathing in smoke!

When we inhale the smoke from a cigarette the carbon monoxide from the smoke is absorbed by the hemoglobin in the blood. Carbon monoxide is a colorless odorless highly toxic gas also found in the smoke from car exhausts. The blood can absorb carbon monoxide 200 times as fast as oxygen so a lot of the oxygen is displaced by carbon monoxide. The organs including the skin are starved of life giving oxygen and slowly poisoned by the carbon monoxide.

But that's not the end of it. Cigarette smoke also contains the following deadly cocktail of chemicals: Ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, butane, nicotine, carbolic acid, collidine, formic aldehyde, lutidine, parvoline, prussic acid, pyridine, arsenic and cadmium. This list is by no means complete.

The effect on the skin of all these is catastrophic. The liver goes into overdrive trying to expel these chemicals from the body and cannot perform its normal functions properly. The skin loses its healthy glow and takes on a yellowish-gray cast. The more cigarettes smoked, the worse your skin will look.

Smoking also causes premature aging in two ways. It uses up vitamin C in the body, about 35mg for each cigarette. Vitamin C is an unstable vitamin and cannot be manufactured by the body. One of its functions is the preservation of the collagen in the skin, the substance that gives skin its plump and youthful appearance. The collagen breaks down causing premature wrinkles around the eyes and mouth.

The physical act of smoking causes us to squint, exaggerating the wrinkles around the eyes. Every time we purse our lips we deepen the wrinkles around our mouth as well.

Do yourself a favor! Stop poisoning yourself. Quit smoking now. Save the money you spend on these toxic weeds and go out and treat yourself to a facial or a new skin cream instead.

Your skin will thank you for it!

RESOURCES:

What Are Some Benefits for Quitting Smoking?
There are immediate benefits from quitting smoking. Within eight hours after you quit, the level of dangerous carbon monoxide gas in the blood returns to normal. Also, within the next 24 hours, your chances of having a heart attack begin to decrease dramatically. Read more…

What Good is it to Quit Smoking if I Have Smoked for Years?
I often hear people say that they have smoked for so long that they can’t see what good it would do to quit now. So what is the big deal if you quit smoking? Will it do you any good or is it a pointless exercise in futility? Read more…

Quit Smoking: Some Tips on Stopping Smoking
Are you looking for tips on stopping smoking? And would you like to know what are some ways to help quit? Now let me remind you that when we come to the actual quitting process, that it is not going to be easy. Read more…

7 Proven Ways to Resist the Urge to Smoke
When you decide to stop smoking the most difficult part is to resist the urges. It doesn't matter that each craving lasts only 3-5 minutes. It's still the whole 5 minutes to battle with your willpower! These 7 tips will help you to resist the urge to smoke one urge at a time. Read more…

Guide for Quitting Smoking
The US Surgeon General has stated, “Smoking cessation (stopping smoking) represents the single most important step that smokers can take to enhance the length and quality of their lives.” Quitting smoking is not easy, but it can be done. To have the best chance of quitting successfully, you need to know what you’re up against, what your options are, and where to go for help. This document is intended to provide you with this information. Read more…

Quit Smoking Cigarettes... Information about Tobacco
Cigarettes . . . one of the most addictive and destructive, over the counter drugs known to modern man. One of the few legal substances available in stores that can injure or kill when used as intended. Most rational people know this as a fact, yet many continue to smoke. Some smokers know, deep in their hearts, they want to quit. Others are quite content to keep on puffing because they think they enjoy it so much. Read more…

Dr Bob’s Quit Smoking Page
Helpful facts and tips on how and why to quit smoking prepared by Dr. Bob, a physician trained in both Internal Medicine and Psychiatry. Read more…