15 ways how smoking ruins one's appearance

Smoking ruins one's appearance ... here's how

1. Bags under the eyes - Smokers are four times as likely as non-smokers to report feeling un-rested after a night's sleep, according to a study by Johns Hopkins University. It is also possible that nightly nicotine withdrawal leads to disturbed and fitful sleep. 

2. Psoriasis - With smoking, the risk of psoriasis - an autoimmune-related skin condition that manifests as scaly skin - goes up a lot. According to a 2007 study, in smokers who puff a pack a day for 10 years or less, psoriasis risk goes up 20 per cent; with 11-20 years, risk increases by 60 per cent. The risk of psoriasis doubles in those who have been smoking for over two decades. 

3. Icky teeth - Nicotine in cigarettes can stain teeth. So in addition to the escalating costs of buying and smoking cigarettes, smokers would have to shell out hard-earning money in periodic visits to the dentist to clean up the stains. 

4. Premature aging and wrinkles - Experts agree that smoking accelerates aging, so that smokers look 1.4 years older than non-smokers, on average. Smoking hampers the blood supply that keeps skin tissue looking supple and healthy.

5. Yellow fingers - The nicotine in cigarette smoke can not only make teeth brown, but it is also notorious for staining fingers and nails as well.

6. Thinner hair - Smoking hurts the hair too. Experts think the toxic chemicals in smoke can damage the DNA in hair follicles and generate cell-damaging free radicals as well. Smokers have thinner hair that tends to go gray sooner than non-smokers. 

Men who smoke are about twice as likely to lose their hair as non-smokers, after taking into account factors that increase the risk of baldness, such as aging and genetics, according to a 2007 study in Taiwan.

7. Scarring - Nicotine causes vasoconstriction, a narrowing of the blood vessels that can limit oxygen-rich blood flow to the tiny vessels in the face or other parts of the body. In smokers, wounds will take longer to heal and leave scars that are bigger and redder than non-smokers. 

8. Tooth loss - Smokers face are at greater risk from all kinds of dental problems, including oral cancer and gum disease. In fact, according to a 2005 UK study in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology, smokers are up to six times more likely than non-smokers to develop gum disease, which can lead to tooth loss.

9. Natural glow is gone - Smoking causes certain facial characteristics, such as wrinkles, gauntness, and a gray appearance of the skin. 

Cigarette smoke contains carbon monoxide, which displaces the oxygen in the skin, and nicotine, which reduces blood flow, leaving skin dry and discoloured. Cigarette smoking also depletes many nutrients, including vitamin C, which helps protect and repair skin damage.

10. Wound healing - Several studies have found that smokers do not heal as well after surgeries such as face-lifts, tooth extractions, and periodontal procedures.

11. Warts - Smokers are more susceptible to infection with human papilloma virus (HPV), a large family of viruses that can cause warts—including genital warts.While genital warts are caused by sexually transmitted types of HPV, smoking is also a risk factor. Even taking the number of sex partners into account, women who smoke are nearly four times as likely to have genital warts as non-smokers, according to one study.

12. Skin cancer - Smoking is a leading cause of cancer, including lung, throat, mouth, and esophageal cancer, so it should be no surprise that cigarettes can also increases the risk of skin cancer. According to a 2001 study, smokers are three times as likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma, the second most common type of skin cancer, than non-smokers.

13. Stretch marks - The nicotine found in cigarettes damages the fibres and connective tissue of the skin, causing it to lose elasticity and strength. Cigarettes contribute to creating stretch marks and red skin striations. 

14. Flabby tummy - Cigarettes can be an appetite suppressant, and often smokers have a lower body weight than non-smokers. A 2009 study in the Netherlands found that smokers had more visceral fat than non-smokers. This deep fat pads internal organs and can accumulate in the midsection, ultimately increasing the risk of other diseases, such as diabetes.

15. Cataracts - Cigarette smoking can increase the risk of cataracts by putting oxidative stress on the lens of the eye. Studies have shown that continued smoking can add up to a 22 percent increased risk of cataract extraction, according to one study. 

Source: MSN

Image courtesy: BBC

Note on the image - Twins, 22, made up to show how they would look at 40 if Kirsty, left, was a smoker and Kelly, right, was not