Effects of smoking on the skin

Skin and hair are permanently exposed to environmental hazards, including cigarette smoke. It contains, besides nicotine, thousands of harmful substances for the human body. Smoking is involved in the occurrence of cancer, severe heart and lung disease, but is also associated with premature aging of the skin, delayed wound epithelization, infections, and worsening of many dermatological diseases such as psoriasis, supurative hydration, vascular disease . Studies have shown that smokers are more often affected by inflammatory diseases, including acne, compared to non-smokers. Dermatologists Dana Popoiu and Proca Ancuta explain to CSID how her footprint smokes her skin. Thus, tissue levels reach an insufficient amount of oxygen, generating ischemia and vascular occlusion.

In the metabolic process, metalloproteinases (MMP-1) and other enzymes that degrade collagen. Nicotine replacements of cigarettes (chewing gum, tablets, patches, electronic cigarettes, etc. ) have less damaging effects on the skin, although nicotine produces vasoconstriction and accelerates skin aging, Tobacco has multiple harmful effects on the skin and mucous membranes: 1. The skin of a smoker is much smoother than a non-smoker's, even if they are the same age. Wrinkles around the eyes (gouache) and perioral wrinkles (lines around the lips) are much more numerous and more accentuated.

Pigmented bruises appear, and the skin color is uneven, stained with gray-yellow tones and telangiectasions (small blood vessels). Generally, the face skin is drier, has a tern, devitalized, and brilliant appearance. 2. Smoking slows the healing of wounds, increases the risk of wound infection, graft rejection, tissue necrosis and blood clot formation. Smoking contributes to the development and persistence of foot ulcer, especially arterial and calcifilaxia.

3. Smoking is associated with a greater likelihood of occurrence or greater severity of bacterial infections, most often caused by Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes, fungal infections (Candida albicans, especially in the oral cavity) and viral infections, especially . Also, smokers have a greater risk of developing cancers associated with this virus, including cervical, vulvar or penicillin. 4. Smoking doubles the risk of developing a type of skin cancer called spinocellular carcinoma.

There is also an increased risk of oral leucoplasia (precancer) and oral cancer (75% of cases of oral cancer and lip cancer occur in smokers). Smoking cessation reduces the risk of lip cancer metastasis occurring 2-3 times. 5. In both the skin and mucous membranes, tobacco smoke can cause temporary fingers, fingernails, and teeth, and smokers usually have a white, yellowish,. 6.

Palmoplantar pustulosis is a chronic dermatosis that is clinically manifested by the appearance of pustules in the palms and plants (soles). It mainly affects middle-aged women, most (90%) smokers. The mechanism of induction appears to be the binding of nicotine to acetylcholine receptors in the sweat gland and the induction of local inflammation. 7. Several studies have confirmed that smokers tend to have wider and more severe psoriasis than non-smokers.

The pathogen appears to be the fact that smoking causes the induction of inflammatory mediators and promotes the proliferation of keratinocytes. 8. The risk of developing chronic choroid lupus erythematosus (autoimmune disease, inflammation of the joints, tendons, etc. . ) Is 10 times higher in smokers than non-smokers.

Smoking increases autoimmune activity by activating lymphocytes, and treatment with hydroxychloroquine and other drugs is less effective in these. 9. Most patients with suppurative hydration (HS) (abscess on the skin) are smokers, and they get a more severe variant of the disease and respond less well to current treatment options. The pathogen involves nicotine-induced follicular occlusion and immune dysfunction. 10.

Smoking may also aggravate or favor the onset of other conditions, such as fetuses, primary or secondary vasospastic disease (Raynaud's phenomenon), ulceration in patients with systemic sclerosis, obliteran thrombangiitis (Buerger's disease, where blood clots appear in small blood vessels) . 11. Also, oral mucosal disorders are more common in smokers. They may have mouth ulcers (ulceration in the oral cavity, which can be painful), lichen plan (oral blemishes), hairy tongue (the tongue surface is dark, dark, due to bacterial overcrowding), nicotinic stomatitis . The mechanisms by which cigarette smoke affects the skin and accelerates the aging process are incompletely known, but several hypotheses have been made: Cigarette heat can progressively and constantly heat the skin.

Causes fiber degradation (elastosis) Causes narrowing of blood vessels (vasoconstriction) . It reduces the level of vitamin A and the degree of skin hydration. It delays keratinocyte migration and healing of wounds, which are prone to infections. Accelerates the degradation of collagen fibers. What can we do to reduce the harmful effects of these substances? Because the main mechanism of attack at the cellular level is oxidative stress, it is good to increase the level of oral or topical antioxidants.

Antioxidants are molecules that protect cellular DNA from the action of free radicals. The most important antioxidants are vitamin C and vitamin E, selenium, betacarotene, flavonoids. They are found in significant quantities in fruits and vegetables, but also in dietary supplements as well as in topical care products. Daily hygiene is also important: cleansing the skin with micelle water that removes shades, dead cells, oxidized sebum and then foaming with a gentle cleansing gel. The next step is to apply a moisturizing cream suitable for every type of skin that will work overnight (when the muscles of the face are relaxed) to restore the skin barrier.

In the morning we will reapply the moisturizing cream. We must also bear in mind the harmful effects of UVA and UVB radiation. It is best to protect ourselves by applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen. .