Want to stay looking younger longer? Smoking is definitely not the solution. In fact, smoking could be making you age faster. Here are just five ways in which smoking can ruin your looks.
Pale complexion
Smoking starves the skin of oxygen and nutrients. This can result in a pallid appearance over time. Studies on smokers and non-smokers found that even young smokers had a more pale appearance than young non-smokers. While you may be able to add some colour to your cheeks by applying makeup, only by quitting smoking will you be able to achieve a natural glow again.
Wrinkly skin
Smoking also affects the skin by promoting wrinkles. The combination of heat from smoke and restriction of oxygen and nutrients causes skin to become dryer and less elastic. Facial wrinkles such as bags under the eyes and crows feet around the corner of the eyes may become more pronounced. Smokers are also susceptible to a unique type of wrinkling around the lips from constantly sucking on a cigarette. All of these wrinkles can be reduced by quitting smoking.
Bad teeth
Smoking is also terrible for our oral health. It damages the gums and discolors the teeth, while also causing tooth decay. Even worse than that - smoking is the leading cause of oral cancer. While dental services such as Soams Dental Care may be able to help undo some of the damage, the best way of keeping your mouth healthy is to quit smoking. In the long run, a smoking habit is arguably worse than eating too much sugar - and we all know how bad sugar is for our teeth.
Hair loss
Another way in which smoking can damage our appearance is by causing premature hair loss. Smoking restricts blood flow to the hair follicles. This causes our hair to become thinner and less healthy, eventually leading to hair loss. If you want to maintain a healthy head of hair as you get older, quitting smoking is certain to help. This post at Hairclub delves more into the impact of smoking on hair health.
Stained fingers
A lot of smokers also develop nicotine stains on their fingers as they get older. This results in fingers and nails having a yellowish appearance. It is possible to remove nicotine stains from fingers by using a pumice stone or salt scrub. However, after years of smoking, these stains will be much harder to shift. Quit smoking if you don’t want to end up with yellow fingers.
Packing in your smoking habit
Quitting smoking isn’t easy. The long-term effects listed above may help to spur you on to quit, but you’ll likely need extra motivation. It’s worth trying out a range of quitting methods including nicotine patches, vaping and even hypnosis. Use apps and diaries to record your progress and set goals. You may even be able to find friends or family members to quit with - having the support of other people can often be great for spurring oneself on. You’ll also want to take up healthy habits to replace smoking - a healthy addiction such as exercise, reading, listening to music or doing crafts could distract you from your cravings.
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