General Overview
Smoking is primarily a recreational activity that has been practiced by many different cultures for hundreds of years. It's a practice where tobacco, or other type of similar substance, is burned and the smoke usually inhaled or tasted. Today, the most common methods of smoking involves cigarettes and cigars. Some people continue to use pipes to smoke tobacco. Cigarettes are considered highly addictive due to high levels of nicotine contained in them. In recent years, smoking has come under a lot of controversy due to its high link to lung cancer and other deadly diseases.
Effect on Skin
Smoking has many negative effects on the skin. It is known to accelerate the aging process resulting in wrinkles and brown spots that make a person look much older than his years. When a smoker puckers his lips to puff on the cigarette, it causes wrinkles to develop around the mouth. Smoking also makes the skin look much duller and ruddier and causes it to lose the shine and brightness associated with a healthy, youthful complexion. Smoking also increases the level of carbon monoxide in the blood, which results in the increase of free radicals. Free radicals are molecules that induce aging. Carbon monoxide also dries the skin which further accelerates the process of aging. A smoker ages about five times faster than a non-smoker due to the increase of free radicals caused by the carbon monoxide in smoke. Many smokers have noticed that their skin looks much healthier and brighter as the free radicals in the cells decrease.
Other Effects
The nicotine in smoking suppresses the immune system, making the entire human body more susceptible to disease. This is particularly true regarding the skin as it makes viral and bacterial infections more likely such as acne and psoriasis. Nicotine and tar also lower the production of collagen, causing skin to lose its elasticity and become saggy. Furthermore, smoking slows down the healing process making it more difficult for skin to repair itself from wounds, burns and bruises.
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