Think only smoking is bad? Well, I have bad news. Being exposed to someone else’s cigarette or cigar smoke is absolutely terrible for your skin.

This isn’t an easy post to write since it is such a sensitive subject for smokers, and I have friends who smoke. But at the risk of offending any of you who smoke, it is my duty to warn you about its effects on skin.

I’m not here to lecture you on smoking. But I do want to educate you about secondhand tobacco smoke. We all know that smoking is bad, but most of us don’t know about secondhand smoke’s effect on skin. In December, I discussed how inflammation ages the skin. Tobacco smoke is a severe source of inflammation both for the smoker and anyone around the smoker.

Here’s what happens:

For the Smoker

  • Smoking releases a FLOOD of free radicals into the lungs. This creates a massive and acute inflammatory response.
  • 1 puff of 1 cigarette creates more than 3 TRILLION free radicals in the lungs!!!
  • There are more than 50 carcinogens in tobacco smoke.

 

For the Person Exposed to Secondhand Smoke

  • Secondhand smoke also triggers a FLOOD of free radicals. One of these is Lipid Peroxide, the Reactive Oxygen Species that attacks skin cell membranes. Lipid peroxidation causes skin to wrinkle and sag.
  • In just 15 minutes of exposure to secondhand smoke, the Lipid Peroxide radical launches an offensive attack on skin cells that lasts for at least 24 hours!
  • This is worse than you being out in the sun the entire day without wearing any sunscreen AND getting sunburned. That’s how bad secondhand smoke is.

The Immediate Effects of Smoke on Skin

  • Dries skin
  • Makes skin dull, gray, or yellow (This is because nicotine constricts blood capillaries, asphyxiating skin by decreasing circulation and depriving skin of oxygen.)
  • Slows down wound healing
  • Decreases skin’s Vitamin C reserves
  • May congest pores, typically seen as whiteheads

 

The Long-Term Effects of Smoke on Skin

  • SKIN AGING!

Try to minimize your exposure to secondhand smoke. Does this mean you should shun your smoker friends? No of course not 🙂 But if you know you will be in a smoky area, antioxidize beforehand, both nutritionally and topically.

If you are a smoker, make sure you consume a lot of antioxidant-rich foods and use skin care products with antioxidant ingredients.