Smoking has directly been linked to various cancers and health conditions. But leading beauty experts say that if you smoke or vape, it's crucial to quit for the sake of your skin's health and appearance. Both of these habits have been proven to adverse effects on your skin.
“Cigarette smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals that transfer to your skin when you breathe them in. Skin affected by smoking is usually grey and wrinkled, with the effects visible as early as your 20s,” explains foot and hand health expert Margaret Dabbs OBE, owner of Margaret Dabbs London.
It turns out that smoking triggers the production of metalloproteinase, an enzyme that breaks down collagen, necessary for skin elasticity and a smooth appearance. “Without enough collagen, your skin will look grey and saggy,” Dabbs tells Hello! Fashion.
Is vaping bad for you?
As for vaping, current research suggests it's safer than smoking but not entirely harmless. The UK government is distributing vaping starter kits to reduce smoking rates, aiming for a 5% rate by 2030. However, the long-term effects of vapes are not fully understood. “With vapes being such a new product, we don’t have reliable information about their long-term effects,” explains Dabbs.
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Is vaping bad for my skin?
“Vaping can cause inflammation, pigmentation and wrinkles. If your vape contains nicotine, this will break down collagen and act as a vasoconstrictor, reducing the flow of oxygen through your skinm” says Dabbs. E-cigarettes and vapes still contain toxins that directly impact your skin and according to Dabbs they also do not eliminate the risk of cancer.
Probably not breaking news for those of you doing sober October, but alcohol is another factor that negatively impacts your skin. Limiting your weekly intake to no more than 14 units can enhance your skin quality and mental well-being.
Meanwhile at the surface level, alcohol works to dehydrate your body, leaving your skin dry and uncomfortable. However, recent research has shown that excessive drinking can actually affect our skin’s age at the DNA level by damaging our telomeres. Our telomeres protect the ends of our chromosomes. The length of our telomeres is an indicator of age. A study found a correlation between shorter telomeres and excessive, regular drinking.
“Increasing your weekly alcohol intake from 10 to 32 units could produce the same effects as three years of natural ageing,” Dabbs confirms, “By giving up smoking or vaping and reducing your alcohol intake, you can work to improve not only the appearance but the health of your skin.”
