Acne Solutions: Is Smoking and Alcohol Consumption aggravating your acne

A feature article by an Alumbo member, Nov 26, 2007         

Acne medicine need not come in a bottle, you see, for most of us smoking is associated with lung cancer, however research has shown that this casual habit also has negative impacts on our skin. While the sun and other chemicals that we ingest or put on our bodies are the core leaders in the ageing process, it is thought that tobacco is also a major contributor to the rate at to which we age. Ten (10) years of smoking is all it takes for you to look and quite possibly feel Ten (10) years older than you really are. You might say, but 10 years is a long time, well not if you start smoking when you’re 18. If we crunch some numbers a teenager who starts smoking at 18 years of age will there fore look like 38 at age 28.

So what is your little casual recreation doing to your body, well, smoking causes the narrowing of blood vessels in the body. This includes those vessels that supply the outermost layer of the skin with oxygen and nutrients. The skin thus receives reduced quantities of vital oxygen and nutrients, such as Vitamin A (the acne nutrient). Alcohol on the other reduces your skin effectiveness in being the first line of defense against bacterial infections. If you are prone to acne, theses are two effects that you could do without.

Vitamin A is used by the body to help generate new cells and replace old ones. This vitamin also boosts the production of collagen and can thus lead to more youthful looking skin. In the long term, a lack of oxygen and nutrients causes the formation of harmful free radicals that slowly damage the elastic fibers and collagen, which keeps the skin strong flexible and young looking. The net result is, the premature signs of aging, in the form of wrinkles.

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According to reports published in the British Journal of Dermatology female smokers may be much more likely to develop non-inflammatory acne (NIA) than women who don't smoke. They looked at more than 1000 women and found that 40% of those who smoked had acne in the form of blocked pores, large white heads and small cysts, all of which are characteristic of NIA. Also they found that the smokers had half the levels of skin secretions of vitamin E, the nutrient that reduces the tendency to be acne prone. It can also be postulated that the act of smoking, that is the repeated pressing of the lips on the cigarette, the heat build up around the mouth, drastically causes wrinkles and damaged skin in this region, sad to say our smile region.

In the final analysis while you may enjoy you after lunch smoke, and your evening vodka, these activities in the long term will age not only your skin but also your entire body. We all want to look youthful for as long as we possibly can, so drink water when you are thirsty and take a nap to relax, simple pleasures may just cost us too much. And by the way some acne solutions are free.

MICHELLE CONLIFFE B.Sc, M.Sc
Freelance health writer. has spent 2 decades giving advice on skin care. Michelle has extensive knowledge in acne solutions, and treatments and has been marketing her ideas for the last five years. Visit Acne Solutions Home and enjoy her work. http://www.acnesolutionshome.com

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