Much is written here and everywhere else “skincare” about the fact that more than 80% of skin damage is caused by the UV rays of the sun and that broad spectrum UV protection is essential as the number #1 anti wrinkle defence.
OK, so, who knows what the #2 is?
How many of you thought “Smoking”? You got it!
Basically, smoking causes your blood vessels to constrict which means that you’re starving your skin cells of oxygen and your skin literally starts to suffocate. Since oxygen isn’t getting to your cells in order to help them rebuild, they don’t regenerate as quickly as normal and your skin cell turnover slows down. As you continue to smoke you get fine lines around your lips, and your skin becomes rougher and thicker, not to mention dull in color and hyper-pigmented.
Did you know that the carcinogens in the tobacco smoke (first and second hand!) degrade collagen and elastin, just as sunlight does, so your skin becomes less elastic and more wrinkled over time. And, as you smoke, you overuse certain muscles in the face leaving you not only with the wrinkles around the mouth but lines between your eyes and crow’s-feet from squinting all the time.
And, if all those bad things that can happen to your skin from smoking aren’t enough to convince you to quit smoking, you also know that smoking is associated with the development of skin cancer because of the build-up of toxins around your face and mouth and the damage caused to the DNA in the skin tissue from the smoke. !!
Sure, there are worse things you can do to your body but if you smoke and want to age gracefully, DON’T!!
“Countin’ flowers on the wall
That don’t bother me at all
Playin’ solitaire till dawn with a deck of fifty-one
Smokin’ cigarettes and watchin’ Captain Kangaroo
Now don’t tell me I’ve nothin’ to do”
