Contents:
- Medical Video: Acne | Nucleus Health
- Why does smoking cause acne to get worse?
- Smoking also causes skin aging
- Smokers will experience worsening acne scarring
Medical Video: Acne | Nucleus Health
"Smoking can cause cancer, heart attacks, impotence, and disorders of pregnancy and fetus." Familiar with this slogan? Although it is printed clearly on almost all cigarette packs, there is one danger of smoking that is not well known, or even realized, by many people. Smoking can cause acne to grow more and more. So what? Isn't acne caused by excess dirt and facial oil? Consider the following explanation of why smoking causes acne.
Why does smoking cause acne to get worse?
Acne is generally caused by the bacteria Propionibacterium acnes that lives and multiplies in the pile of facial oil (sebum), dirt, dust, and dead skin that clogs pores.
Well, one study fromThe San Gallicano Dermatological Institute in Rome found that smoking can cause "harvest" of pimples on the face, including large blackheads.This finding was obtained after observing 1,000 women aged 25 to 50 years. The result, 42 percent of female smokers have facial acne, while among non-smokers only 10 percent.
The study also showed that smokers who had suffered acne at a teenage age were found to be four times more likely to suffer from acne when they were adults, compared to non-womensmokers who have also experienced acne during adolescence.
Smoking is known to constrict blood vessels from the inside and the smoke damages skin cells which is the first line of defense for body protection. In the end, this triggers a blockage in the pores which causes the appearance of blackheads and non-inflammatory types of acne. Women who smoke prove to be more vulnerable to the appearance of these zits.
Smoking also causes skin aging
Smoking causes acne. But besides that, smoking can also make the skin look older, which is characterized by wrinkled skin and fine lines around the eyes. Because smoke cigarettes that hit the face and cigarette poisons that are left in the body together can create free radicals, damage collagen production, and damage skin proteins at any age. One way to prevent premature aging is to stop or avoid cigarette smoke.
Smokers will experience worsening acne scarring
Not only that, acne can also aggravate acne scars. This is evidenced by a study that looked at 992 severe acne patients who were treated in hospital dermatology clinics for 8 years. Nearly 91 percent of patients have severe pockmark acne scars on the face, compared to those who don't smoke. This research was presented at the annual conference of the British Association of Dermatologists, in Manchester.
At first, the pimples leave marks on the face, then can make the skin hollow until the skin surface is uneven. The formation of scar tissue can also occur because of the habit of squeezing zits.
Doctor Raman Bhutani, a member of the research team from the Harrogate District Foundation Trust said, this study proves that smoking can aggravate scarring in people who are prone to acne. However, further research is needed to explain how smoking works to worsen scar tissue.
