Ageing is a biological process, and it gets slower as we age. We accelerate the ageing process by drinking, eating disorders, drug intake or too much of stress. Apart from being a known cause of lung and other cancers, smoking has also been shown to accelerate the ageing process. Distinct lines around the mouth and a dull pallor of the skin are associated with long-term smokers.
The WHO predicts, that by mid-2020's, 85% of all smokers will come from the developing countries and smoking could become the world's biggest killer. It will cause more deaths than HIV, tuberculosis, road accidents, murder and suicide put together. Smoking-related diseases are killing four million people a year worldwide and the number will rise to ten million a year in the next twenty-five years. Rising death tolls are expected in countries such as China and Japan where 50% and 60% of adults are now smokers.
The ability of the skin to remain healthy and young looking is its constant ability to regenerate itself; it depends on the balance or its ability to break down old skin and to create fresh replacement tissue. Smoking destroys the ability of the skin to renew itself effectively by increasing the levels of an enzyme, which causes the degradation of collagen, a compound that keeps the skin firm and elastic. The action of smoking causes increased stress and facial lines, and the affinity of the carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke for the haemoglobin in the blood deprives skin of the nutrition it needs.
Researchers also found out that smoke caused a drop in the production of fresh collagen by up to 40%. The amount of collagen is related to ageing; less collagen means more wrinkle formation. This has been proved by testing skin samples from various smokers and non-smokers. This combined effect of degrading collagen more rapidly and producing less new collagen is probably what causes premature skin ageing in smokers. The more concentrated the smoke, the greater the effect on collagen.
The disruption of the collagen balance is like a scar and should be avoided as far as possible. Short of plastic surgery, there is no way to reverse the damage, so it is better to give up smoking if you want to avoid looking old prematurely!
Reuters