[pullquote]Smokers usually die about 13 to 14 years early than non-smokers.[/pullquote]
Let’s face it! If you are a smoker, you already know you need to quit. There are enough reasons to quit smoking, and you’ve already heard most of them. Smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths in the United States. It damages and affects your lungs, heart, and even your sex life.
Smoking Can Negatively Impact Your Skin
[pullquote]About 30% of teenagers smoke heavily and die early from a tobacco-related disease.[/pullquote]
Besides causing bad breath, smoking also affects your skin complexion. As you continue to smoke, you could put on or lose weight, have puffy eyes, look pale, show premature signs of aging, and be more susceptible to psoriasis. Most importantly, smoking is linked with facial wrinkling. Smokers are more likely to have facial wrinkles at a younger age when compared to non-smokers.1
Smoker’s Wrinkles Are Lines Around The Lips
[pullquote]Smoking increases your chances of having panic attacks, anxiety disorders, and depression. These conditions indirectly influence the health of your skin.[/pullquote]
Smoker’s wrinkles are vertical lines that form in and around the lips. They are also called perioral lines.
When you smoke, your blood vessels narrow down and the oxygen and nutrient supply to your skin is cut out. It promotes collagen deterioration which makes you look older. Additionally, smoking leads to poor hydration and makes your skin and lips dry.
You could try a host of cosmetic ways to conceal these unsightly wrinkles. However, the best step forward is to go all-natural! To reduce wrinkles all you need to do is follow these simple treatments that can be done at home. These measures help you get rid of the wrinkles and they also have the potential to reverse the damage caused by smoking.
1. Quit Smoking
When you quit smoking, it benefits your skin in ways you can’t imagine. The signs of aging will be reversed. You’ll find that the fine lines and wrinkles around your lips and face start disappearing. This should be your first step before trying anything else.2
2. Hydrate Yourself
When you smoke, the skin becomes dry as the effects of dehydration set in. In such a situation, drink more water or fluids to avoid dehydration. This will help prevent skin damage and moisturize your skin from within. Hydration is one of the treatments that visibly improves the skin.
Drinking water may not help with the wrinkles directly; however, it will help you keep your skin hydrated and healthy.3
3. Massage Your Skin With Coconut Oil
Coconut oil’s antioxidant properties help fight free radicals that damage your skin and cause wrinkles. Coconut oil moisturizes skin to prevent the formation of fine lines and wrinkles. It also contains proteins, vitamin E, and vitamin C that help in the production of collagen. Collagen keeps your skin firm and non-wrinkly.
Apply coconut oil on your face directly and massage the face. Leave the oil for about 30 mins. After 30 mins, wash your face with a cleanser.
You can also apply coconut oil before bed each night. You can leave it on overnight until your skin absorbs it completely. You can also try a blend of lemon, eucalyptus, and lavender oil with coconut oil for more promising results.
4. Exfoliate Your Skin
The process of exfoliation prevents dead cells from accumulating on the surface of your skin. These dead cells can make your skin look dry and dull while increasing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. As you gently exfoliate your face regularly, you can effectively get rid of brittle skin layers. This way, you’ll be able to keep your skin feeling smooth, soft, and even wrinkle-free.
You can use salt, sugar, oatmeal, or honey with any of the massage oils to exfoliate your skin. Coconut oil, olive oil, jojoba oil, grapeseed oil, and almond oil are some of the massage oils that are good for skin.
5. Try Facial Exercises
Exercise 1: Make an O shape with your mouth. Smile widely and keep your teeth hidden. Repeat these steps for about 6 times. Place an index finger on the chin and keep smiling again. This time start moving your jaw up and down. Relax and repeat.
Exercise 2: Before you start this exercise, take a deep breath. Say “A, E, I, O, U” with a smile. Repeat this for 3 to 4 times.
Exercise 3: Push your lips forward or just try and pout. Hold this position for about 30 seconds. Repeat this for 4 times.
Depending on the extent of damage that regular smoking has caused to your skin, it is possible for you to reverse the effects and put yourself back on track to recover your complexion and revitalize your skin. You’ll be surprised to know that skin can heal very fast with the right kind of treatment. For starters, please quit smoking for good!
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