Most people know of smoking’s ill effects on health, typically regarding lung and heart issues. However, all of the effects of cigarette smoking are still not commonly known. Truth Initiative’s insights on unexpected smoking impacts on the body note that other than fewer taste buds and hearing and vision loss, skin problems can result from chronic smoking.
Your skin ages faster, heals slower and increases your likelihood of skin diseases and infections. To prevent your skin from damage, the best action is to quit smoking cigarettes and pursue a healthy and clean lifestyle. Not only will you be healthier, but your skin can also regain a youthful glow. Here’s how you can reverse smoking’s ageing effects on the skin and live cleanly:
Combating Premature Ageing Through Healthy Living
Smoking quickens the skin’s ageing process by damaging collagen and elastin, which is responsible for your skin’s firmness and elasticity. When collagen formation is impaired due to tobacco smoke, your face starts to sag and wrinkle, making you look older than you are.
Smoking also affects the circulation of vitamin D, which is responsible for tissue and skin barrier repair and maintenance. A study from the Pigment Cell and Melanoma Research journal notes that exposure to tobacco smoke is one factor that can lead to age-related skin pigmentation, along with heat and UV radiation. Here’s what you can do to mitigate these effects:
Try Alternatives
Cravings and withdrawal symptoms are common when quitting smoking. However, you can use smokeless and tobacco-free alternatives to help you curb cravings and reduce your nicotine dependence. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products like nicotine gum, patches, inhalers, and more have been helpful in helping smokers quit.
Nicotine pouches from brands like ZYN are rising in popularity due to their many flavours and nicotine strengths. The ZYN nicotine pouches featured at Prilla were created to meet the demands of a growing market who didn’t want to use tobacco but still liked to use a snus-style product for a nicotine hit.
Without tobacco and the numerous chemicals in cigarettes, this cigarette alternative can help satisfy nicotine cravings without the skin-damaging properties of smoking. Nicotine gum is also a popular cessation product around the globe. Nicotine gum from Nicorette and other brands is easy to access by buying over-the-counter and can be used anywhere since they don’t produce smoke. Using alternatives can help make it easier to quit gradually and start clean living to combat premature ageing.
Eat A healthy diet
The food you eat can play an essential role in your skin’s health. A well-balanced diet rich in healthy sources of protein, fat, and antioxidants promotes healthy ageing and good skin. Foods like extra virgin olive oil and fatty fish contain nutrients that keep the skin looking young and healthy.
Vegetables like leafy greens, bell peppers, tomatoes, and broccoli are rich in vitamin C, which can help in collagen production for more firmness and elasticity in the skin. Fruits like pomegranates and avocados are also good sources of antioxidants that can help with skin repair. Eating a sufficient amount of foods like these can aid in your skin’s recovery process after smoking.
Stay Hydrated
Hydration is crucial for your wellness and can help you live clean after smoking. Drinking enough water can help your body flush out cigarette toxins and improve your health. CBS News reports that hydration has also been found to reduce the impacts of ageing by maintaining skin health and slowing down ageing. It also helps prolong a disease-free life.
Drinking the recommended amounts of water per day is important to help your skin and body recover from smoking. Other than water, foods with high water content can also help you stay hydrated. Our list of “5 Hydrating and Nutritious Vegetables to Boost Your Hydration Levels” highlights how veggies like cucumbers, celery, radishes, bell peppers, and zucchini can aid in hydration, keeping you looking young and healthy. Along with being nutrient and vitamin-rich, they can help boost your overall wellness after quitting smoking.
If you are worried about premature ageing and still smoke, we hope the above article proves useful.