How Smoking Ruins Your Looks

How does smoking affect your looks? The nicotine and other toxins found in cigarettes adversely change your body's chemistry. Puffing on a cigarette sends toxic byproducts into the bloodstream and cells, causing many health problems that also affect a smoker's looks.

Smoking heavily affects oral health. Smokers have an increased risk of dental problems, to include loss of teeth, as well as effects on facial and jaw bones due to deficient vitamin levels which can lead to bone break down. Brown teeth, bad breath and loss of teeth are all side effects of smoking. There are multiple reasons why smoking adversely affects oral health: Saliva fights bacteria to keep teeth healthy. Nicotine changes saliva production, leading to an inability to fight bacteria. Smoking increases the temperature inside the mouth, causing harm and death to cells. Smoking decreases Vitamin C levels in the body, which increases the risk of gum disease. Nicotine decreases blood flow to the gums, preventing absorption of nutrients. Because of the above, smokers have increased plaque and space around the gums, increasing the risk of infection. Smokers have an increased risk of losing teeth and break down of jaw bones which help hold the teeth in the mouth. Missing teeth, brown teeth are definite signs of smoking ruining your looks.

Smoking greatly increases the risk of getting oral related cancers, such as cancer of the tongue, mouth, gums or lips, all of which are ways smoking can ruin looks.

Smoking ruins looks by causing white patches (leukoplakia) in the mouth. These are often precancerous and seen in smokers.

Smoking also ruins your looks by affecting the skin. Smoking causes dryness of the skin, constricts blood vessels, reducing blood flow to the skin. Collagen, which helps with skin elasticity (the skin's ability to stretch) is changed by smoking. Smoking leads to early wrinkling of the skin, especially around the lips and crow's feet around the eyes. gives skin a leather look

Hallowed cheeks are caused from using the repetitive muscle movements when inhaling cigarerettes. This is why smokers of many years have a gaunt appearance to their face.

Psoriasis (red and silver splotches over the skin). The risk of a smoker developing psoriasis increases with the years of smoking.

Osteoporosis, known to create a humped appearance in severe cases, is caused when bones become weak. Risk factors for osteoporosis include insufficient amounts of calcium and Vitamin D, as well as cigarette smoking. Smoking depletes the bones of calcium, Vitamin D and other minerals needed to keep them strong. Vitamin D helps the body cannot absorb calcium, which is necessary to keep the bones strong and prevent brittle bones. Smoking also decreases the levels of estrogen in the body, which helps bones retain calcium.

Smoking can also cause nystagmus, (abnormal eye movements that include jerking). It is believed smoking affects the balance center in the brain, thus causing these abnormal eye movements.

While smoking has many side effects, including health risks that can be devastating, smoking can also ruin your looks, increasing your chances of poor self esteem, depression and other overwhelming emotional consequences.

Sources:

Cigarettes: What the Warning Label Doesn't Tell You. Elizabeth M. Whelan, ACSH President.