Healthy skin, effects of smoking on the skin

image: simeon schatz photography www.simeonschatz.comWrinkles and healthy skin.  Good health effects your entire body.  But did you know that your skin is the largest organ of your body?  Some good skincare habits include:

• Topical hydration with lotions
• Drink plenty of water each day to flush the pores
• Exercise to keep the circulation moving

Wrinkles are formed as we age, slowly sucking out the moisture inherent in youthful skin.  The sun is not your friend when it comes to wrinkles.  There are harmful effects of extended sun exposure to the skin.   UVA (A can stand for aging). We get UVA rays from the sun through clouds and on days when we don’t know it. This is when most people forget to wear sunscreen, or do not think it’s important.  UVB (B can stand for burns). We get UVB rays from the sun through direct, hot sunlight. This is when most people think to apply sunscreen.

Smoking cigarettes too is a big cause of wrinkles, discoloration and poor texture of the skin. The following are harmful effects of cigarette smoking that affect your skin:

• Contains carbon monoxide, reducing the amount of oxygen the blood can carry around the body.  This hampers your breathing capacity, inhibits your circulation and deprives your skin cells of oxygen.
• Damages the collagen and elastin fibers of the skin, making it less firm and resilient. This contributes to wrinkles—sometimes 20 years earlier for a smoker vs. a non-smoker!
• Constant and repetitive puckering of the mouth and eyes causes smokers to develop wrinkle lines around lips, eyes and forehead sooner.  [Sucking on a straw often can have this effect too.]
• Increases free-radicals, which can damage the skin.
• Depletes the tissues of Vitamin C, a nutrient that is vital for healthy skin.

© 2010 R.E.L. Copywriting