Smoking is related to a number of harmful conditions from cancer and premature aging to less harmful but embarrassing conditions like bad breath and teeth decay. The conditions can be so severe that now in many countries warning messages are displayed on cigarette packets. Although it is estimated that around 3 billion die from smoking related illnesses annually smoking is still popular.
You may not know but smoking has also been associated with symptoms of acne. With some data finding that women are more prone to smoking related acne symptoms than men! In fact research has shown that of 1,000 women aged between 25-50 over 40% suffered from acne, whilst only 10% of the non-smoking women had acne.
This brief article takes a look at why smokers are more likely to suffer from acne.
So what causes smokers to suffer from acne?
It is thought that the main reason why smokers suffer from acne is due to unhealthy skin. The toxic chemicals and carcinogens in cigarette smoke clog the pores and as a consequence cause bacterial growth leading to acne.
If you may smoke you may be one of the lucky ones and not suffer from acne. If you did suffer from acne as a teenager then it is more likely you will have smoking related acne.
What are the effects of smoking on the skin?
Smoking can affect the bodies cell DNA that led to severe conditions, such as skin cancer.
Most heavy smokers tend to look older due to pale skin, leathery skin and premature wrinkles. This is in part due to the harmful effects of tobacco and that natural levels of certain vitamins, such as Vitamin A, are reduced which affects skin health.
Whilst certainly more studies need to be carried out into the effects of smoking on acne, it is fairly clear that a relationship exists between smoking and healthy skin.
Preventing smokers acne
Of course the obvious answer is to stop smoking, which would led to a marked improvement in the health of your skin! Equally even stopping smoking will not mean that you will never suffer from acne again.
If quitting smoking is not possible at the moment (although certainly worth considering due to all the health reasons!) then you can try acne treatments to treat the acne symptoms. There are a number of effective over the counter acne products that could work for you.