15 ways in which smoking damages our appearance (part 3)
... cheekbones, gray skin type.
Cigarette smoke contains carbon monoxide, which replaces oxygen in the skin, and nicotine, which reduces blood circulation, makes it dry and unhealthy. Smoking also predisposes to a deficiency of many nutrients, including vitamin C, which helps prevent and restore skin damage.
- Wound healing
Several studies have found that smokers do not recover well after surgery such as facelift, tooth extraction, and periodontal procedures. Thus, even aesthetic procedures will not provide the necessary effect for wrinkle removal.
- Warts
For reasons that are not fully understood, smokers are more at risk from papillomavirus infections - a large family of viruses that can cause warts, including in the genital area.
Although genital warts are caused by sexually transmitted types of HPV viruses, smoking is also a risk factor. According to a study, female smokers are almost four times more endangered by genital warts than non-smokers (under the same conditions).
- Skin cancer
Smoking is a leading cause of cancer of the lungs, throat, oral cavity and esophagus. Therefore, it is not surprising to anyone that cigarettes also increase the risk of skin cancer.
According to a 2001 study smokers are three times more likely to develop squamous cancer, which is the second most common skin cancer.
- Shirts
Nicotine in cigarettes damages certain structures of connective tissue, resulting in the skin gradually losing its elasticity and strength. Stretch marks usually occur when one fills up, but smoking is also a risk factor.
- Loose belly
Cigarettes may suppress appetite, but a Dutch study has found that smokers have more visceral fat than non-smokers. They represent fat deposits around the internal organs in the central part ...