It is a well-established fact that smoking is injurious to health and can lead to severe health problems. Smoking cigarettes has been long linked to an increase in the risk of cancer and some cardiovascular diseases. However, it is not just your lungs, heart or oral health that smoking can take a toll on. According to nutritionist Anjali Mukerjee, inhaling toxic smoke can also make you look older. She says that the addiction can cause irreversible damage to the skin and can aggravate the symptoms of skin conditions. In her latest Instagram post, the nutritionist explains the seven ways smoking is damaging our skin and body.
Effect of smoking on your skin
1. Thinning of the skin
As per Anjali Mukerjee, smoking can make the skin thinner. Studies have shown that a smoker's skin can be up to 40% thinner than that of a non-smoker.
2. Wrinkles and ageing
If you don't want to look older early then it is better to ditch that cigarette. The nutritionist adds that smoking can cause premature wrinkles and ageing by using up the vitamin C in the body and leading to a drop in collagen levels. Collagen is responsible for giving that plump and youthful appearance to our skin.
3. Accelerates wrinkling
Smoking also tends to damage the elastin fibres that give strength and elasticity to our skin. This speeds up the wrinkling of the skin and thus a smoker may experience more wrinkles than one who doesn't smoke.
4. Affects body shape
Besides the skin, smoking also impacts the overall shape of the body and increases the waist-to-hip ratio of a person. This occurs as smoking affects the endocrinal system which is responsible for hormone secretion in the body.
5. Discoloured fingers
Habitual smokers may witness their fingers and fingernails getting discoloured on the hand which they use to hold the cigarette. Yellowing of teeth and halitosis or bad breath are also some issues prolonged smoking can cause.
6. Psoriasis
Smoking can also result in a chronic skin condition called psoriasis. According to the nutritionist, smokers are at two to three time higher risk of developing the disease than non-smokers.
7. Affects immunity
Smoking tends to increase the load of free radicals in the body which damages the skin and suppresses the immune system.
The nutritionist says that cigarettes have a lethal cocktail of chemicals and toxins that can harm the skin. She stresses that the damage caused by smoking cannot be undone by any beauty or cosmetic treatment and that one must try to give up on the habit as soon as possible.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
