Everybody knows that smoking is bad for you. If you could see your lungs, you’d probably quit in an instant.

Faster Aging

If you are a smoker, your skin is going to age very rapidly. There is very little point in spending money on skin treatments which can only be a minimal compensation against the ravages of the little sticks of poison you stick in your mouth and suck all the toxic substances from on a regular basis.

The good news is that if you quit now; your skin can repair itself-but the later you leave it, the more irreversible the problems.

Smoking Impacts Collagen

Smoking affects the entire body, the toxic concoction of carbon monoxide, nicotine, tar, formaldehyde and other vile chemicals that shouldn’t be anywhere near a human being, much less in your mouth, is appalling bad for your skin.

The brain is pushed to divert vitamins away from your skin in a frantic attempt to use them elsewhere to shore up the damage you’re doing by smoking.

Nicotine also reduces blood flow to the lower living layer of skin, or dermis, which results in less oxygen being delivered. This makes skin sallow; slowing down the quality and quantity of cell production and turnover, leaving you dry, flaky and dull.

Smoking completely saps your body of Vitamin C, which is a vital component in the manufacture of collagen. Your skin will wrinkle and sag.

Over time, smoking disrupts the production of an enzyme called matrix metalloproteinase. The enzyme usually controls collagen production but in smokers it ends up destroying more tissue than it produces, leading to lined, leathery skin.

Stressing the Skin

The mechanical action of sucking on a cigarette places the skin under stress too; giving you the signature hollow cheeks, crow’s feet and the puckered upper lip of a seasoned smoker. If you don’t see damage yet; you will-it can take a while to appear in younger people but will be evident as you age….and age badly.

As soon as you stop smoking, your body is able to function more effectively. Within six weeks the skin will be visibly benefiting from increased oxygen and antioxidant levels, but you must adopt a strict skin-care regime.

Broad-spectrum (UVA and UVB) sunscreen is essential to stop the sun destroying any collagen that your now smoke-free body is producing.

Vital Vitamins

Cosmetic Doctor will explain that your skin must be provided with antioxidants and peptides – Vitamin A to speed up skin-cell turnover, Vitamin C to stimulate collagen production and Vitamin E to encourage healing. Peptides will signal to your brain that more collagen needs to be produced.

You’ll need to exfoliate regularly to slough away dead skin cells, which sends messages to the brain to produce more collagen – and eat plenty of colourful fruits and vegetables to ensure that your body can metabolise vitamins effectively.

There are many treatments available from Cosmetic Doctor to help collagen production, and get you back on the road to healthy skin.

Call Cosmetic Doctor at 01 685 3100.