Smooth skin instead of cigarettes: What actually happens when you stop smoking? We show you 5 changes you'll love.
Table of contents
- Another reason to quit smoking
- 1. The complexion looks fresh and rosy again
- 2. The skin is less dry
- 3. Pimples and blemishes disappear
- 4. Wrinkles appear more slowly
- 5. Skin diseases are less common
Anyone who has a pack of cigarettes as part of their everyday life is putting a lot of strain on their health and skin. When we smoke a single cigarette, we inhale more than 4,000 chemicals, a whopping 90 of which are proven carcinogens. It is not surprising that the risk of developing cancer is twice as high for a smoker as for a non-smoker.
But in addition to the many health consequences that gradually change our body and are not visible at first glance, other damage becomes noticeable much more quickly. Daily tobacco smoke is also very hard on our skin.
In the video: Did you know? This is how smoking changes your body
Creeping Danger: How Smoking Changes Your Body
Another reason to quit smoking
With every cigarette we smoke, we worsen the condition of our skin. The many toxic substances that are inhaled when smoking attack our cells and promote the aging process of our skin.
The result: We get wrinkles more quickly, our complexion looks dull and our skin loses collagen. Ergo: We look much older than we are.
The good news: It's not too late to change something about it. Because the sooner you stop, the greater the chance that your skin will recover from the misery.
We'll tell you what happens to your skin when you stop smoking and what changes you can look forward to.
1. The complexion looks fresh and rosy again
Anyone who smokes regularly will quickly have to say goodbye to the natural glow on their face. This is due to the two substances nicotine and carbon monoxide, which cause our blood vessels in the body to constrict. Due to poorer blood circulation, our skin can only receive insufficient nutrients.
The result: Our natural luminosity disappears, the skin tone becomes dull and takes on a grayish haze. Anyone who manages to stop craving the glow will be rewarded with a radiant complexion.
The blood can circulate again and the red blood cells transport enough oxygen and important nutrients to the skin.
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2. The skin is less dry
In addition to narrowing blood vessels, tobacco smoke itself can also prevent the skin from receiving enough oxygen. There are fine particles in the smoke that not only damage the lungs. They also settle on the skin and clog our pores.
Feelings of tension, dryness and rough skin areas quickly become noticeable. If the entire organism remains smoke-free, the pores can breathe freely again and dry skin areas will become supple again over time.
3. Pimples and blemishes disappear
Many studies confirm that smokers are more likely to suffer from skin blemishes and acne. Due to the lack of nutrients, the skin's own protection begins to falter if you have smoked for years.
It loses strength and bacteria can settle in much more easily and cause impurities. In addition, pimples heal much more slowly and poorly due to poor blood circulation.
Even the right cleaning products cannot help here. So anyone who is annoyed about impure skin should put the pack of cigarettes away as quickly as possible!
4. Wrinkles appear more slowly
You smoke but still have absolutely no trace of wrinkles? Then you have a reason to stay away from cigarettes right now. Because one thing is certain: smoking accelerates the aging process of the skin.
This is due to nicotine, which gradually reduces the vitamin C content. Without enough vitamin C, the formation of collagen is severely limited. Our skin loses its tone and elasticity, it becomes wrinkled and quickly makes us look ten years older.
Existing wrinkles cannot be reversed even by radically quitting smoking. The good news: Our skin still manages to regenerate and the skin aging process returns to its natural pace.
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5. Skin diseases are less common
In addition to pimples and wrinkles, the toxins contained in cigarettes also promote the development of painful eczema, psoriasis and warts. This is due to the weakened immune system of our skin, which means that bacteria and pathogens can easily nest in the skin cells.
If the toxins are absorbed through the mucous membranes, this can even lead to malignant skin cancer. Anyone who consistently stays smoke-free reduces the risk of stubborn and serious skin diseases and promotes their own health.
