Acne from smoking: can it exist, is it true or not, symptoms, causes, treatment

Can smoking cause acne?

The effect of nicotine on the formation of acne on the surface of the face has been confirmed by multiple studies.

The connection between smoking and the formation of acne has long been identified. Nicotine affects the secretory function of the skin, clogging capillaries and changing the density of the sebaceous secretion, which helps block the sebaceous glands.

Against the background of skin hypoxia, tar settling on the skin of the face when exhaling, infection becomes easier; As a result, purulent acne develops.

Drinking plenty of fluids, which removes toxic elements, a more balanced diet, and frequent walks in the fresh air help to somewhat reduce the effect of nicotine on the skin.

The skin is always the first to react to numerous negative changes within the body. And in the situation with tobacco smoking, he also feels external influence.

How to get rid of acne quickly

Acne is a common skin problem, affecting about 85 percent of the population.

The skin is unable to remain healthy in such a situation. He “suffocates” from a lack of oxygen, micronutrients, and vitamins.

Ultimately, everything will result in the formation of acne. And as long as a person continues to smoke, dangerous disorders will occur inside the body in all layers of the skin.

Fast victory

After holding on for a couple of days, a week or a month, a person may decide that he has already coped with addiction, because the main withdrawal symptoms have already passed. This is a dangerous misconception. Under its influence, a former smoker may start smoking again: many decide to test themselves in this way or believe that one cigarette will not do any harm. In other cases, the feeling of a quick victory is dangerous due to subsequent disappointment. With nicotine addiction, withdrawal symptoms persist for three months. At this time, irritability and uncertainty may occur, a person may feel depressed, and gain weight. If dissatisfaction with these manifestations continues to accumulate, the former smoker may return to smoking simply because he does not see changes for the better.

The effect of nicotine on the skin

The provoking factors for the appearance of acne are blockage and inflammatory processes in the subcutaneous glands due to a failure of secretory functions, metabolism and structural damage to the epidermis. All of the above components of the etiological mechanism of the origin of various rashes and acne are caused by cigarette smoke.

Smoking has an adverse effect on the condition of facial skin.
This is manifested by the premature formation of wrinkles, especially in the lip area: by squeezing a cigarette or the mouthpiece of a hookah unit with one’s lips, a person contributes to the formation of persistent vertical wrinkles in the form of streaks above the upper lip. The nasolabial folds also begin to stand out sharply.

Dermatovenerologist, cosmetologist

Zhikhoreva Inna Viktorovna

6 years experience

First, nicotine and carbon monoxide in tobacco begin the process of binding hemoglobin in the blood, disrupting the transport of oxygen. As a result, tissue cells, including the skin, will experience severe hypoxia.

The dermis will begin to age prematurely, the secretory functions of the subcutaneous glands will be disrupted, and dry skin will form. Acne will be the result of these processes.

Also, the relationship between tobacco smoking and rash can manifest itself in an inflammatory reaction from the influence of toxic substances in tobacco smoke. The main damage from nicotine is aimed at the respiratory system and gastrointestinal tract.

However, some of the toxic substances will be excreted by the body through sweat, and these toxic components will directly become a provoking factor in inflammatory processes in the sebaceous glands during their clogging. Acne from smoking with purulent contents is characterized by a similar etiological mechanism.

Regular damage to the dermis of the face can also be caused by the direct influence of tobacco smoke from cigarettes. The skin of the face will be the first part of the body to come into contact with the exhaled smoke after a puff and rising from the cigarette.

The dermis dries out and becomes irritated all the time. Against this background, it will be natural for multiple comedones to appear, and with the addition of a secondary infection - acne and rashes with suppuration.

The influence of tobacco smoking on the formation of rashes on the face in adolescence will be especially strong. At this stage, hormonal changes disrupt metabolic processes and cause active formation of a rash.

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In such conditions, smoking significantly aggravates the clinical picture: immunity decreases, blood supply and cell nutrition are disrupted.

On the surface of the face, formed pimples cannot heal on their own for a long period of time, since this is prevented by cigarette smoke, which has an irritating effect.

What not to do

To prevent rashes from spreading over the skin and turning into ulcers, if you quit smoking and acne appears, you should under no circumstances:

trying to squeeze them out - this can introduce an infection into the blood or leave marks on the skin;
use hot water for washing - this will cause a rush of blood to the skin and activate the sebaceous glands; it is recommended to use cold water or ice cubes for washing;
start smoking again - repeated nicotine poisoning will not only permanently damage the skin, but can also cause serious disturbances in the functioning of internal organs;
use hormonal ointments - it is no less dangerous to treat ordinary acne with hormones. Such medications are used only for serious dermatological diseases, since any creams and ointments containing hormones are very harmful to the endocrine glands, liver and other organs.

Features of acne from smoking

Cigarette smoke, which is released from the smokers' lungs, penetrates the skin of the face. It is impossible to exclude this, even if you exhale deeply all the time after tightening. Smoke contains resins and other elements that clog the pores of the skin, drying it out and causing irritation.

This causes clogging of pores, and then the appearance of acne. When a person has already had problems with their facial skin and a rash on it, the situation can get worse. Previously existing rashes do not heal for a long time, and the skin is not able to fully regenerate.

Together with smoke, a significant amount of chemical compounds enter the body that disrupt the functioning of the skin.

How to get rid of acne marks

Facial rashes are a common problem that almost every person faces.

Collagen, which provides the strength and elasticity of the skin, begins to break down. This affects the functioning of the subcutaneous glands and leads to clogging of their pores.

The concentration inside the body of vitamins A, C and E, which are not absorbed in the presence of many components from tobacco smoke, decreases.

This suggests that the skin loses its ability to counteract negative effects, as well as quickly recover from damage. Inflammation has the ability to spread to adjacent areas virtually without obstacles.

The narrowing of blood vessels as a result of the influence of tobacco smoke leads to a lack of nutrition for skin cells. All of the above circumstances provoke a deterioration in the aesthetic appearance of the dermis and disturbances in its functioning. This is often associated with the appearance of acne.

Other causes of acne

Although smoking and acne* are interrelated, acne is a multifactorial disease, with many endogenous and exogenous causes that can trigger it. These include49:

stress;
hereditary predisposition;
incorrectly selected cosmetics with comedogenic components
consuming large amounts of glucose and dairy products;
chronic gastrointestinal diseases;
the use of drugs based on anabolic steroids, corticosteroids;
vegetative-vascular dystonia;
endocrine disorders.

How to reduce harmful effects

Many people find it difficult to give up smoking because doctors believe that addiction in such a situation is similar to a drug addiction.

However, when a person persistently tries to overcome himself, but has not fully overcome such a habit, he can significantly reduce the harmful effects on the skin and the body as a whole.

To do this you need:

drink at least 2 liters of drinking water throughout the day, it helps eliminate toxic components and has a beneficial effect on maintaining the functioning of internal organs;
diversify the menu with vegetables and fruits that saturate the body with essential vitamins and minerals, and also contain fiber, which cleanses the gastrointestinal tract and is involved in eliminating harmful particles;
spend more time on the street, the body needs to compensate for the lack of oxygen due to smoking;
You need to take more careful care of your facial skin – cleanse, moisturize and nourish it.

Such instructions should be carried out constantly, in particular when acne has already appeared on the dermis.

Decreased regeneration

Wound healing in smokers is slower and worse. For example, the width of the scar
after laparoscopy - abdominal surgery - in smokers is on average about 7 mm, and in non-smoking women - about 3 mm.
Most often, plastic surgeons
.
“I have performed many plastic surgeries, and I always ask future patients if they smoke,” says Sergey Chub, candidate of medical sciences, employee of the Central Research Institute of Dermatovenerology of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of Russia. The risk of skin flap rejection
during plastic surgery in smokers is 12.46 times higher than in non-smokers. The same applies to hair loss in the area where the operation is performed. There are cases where plastic surgeons refuse to work with patients who did not want to quit smoking before surgery. Why spoil your statistics because of a stubborn smoker who increases the risk of complications?

What does alcohol do to the skin?

Dry and sagging skin, pronounced pores and even the characteristic “alcoholic’s face” are the result of alcohol abuse, especially in women.

Acne after quitting smoking

However, the opposite situation often happens when a person quits smoking and pimples form on the skin. The flow of toxic substances into the body stopped, therefore, the general condition of the internal organs should have improved.

However, the appearance of a rash in such a situation indicates that toxic elements are removed from the internal organs. Part of the elimination function is taken over by the skin, and acne is evidence of this process.

After quitting smoking, a rash may appear due to the following provoking factors:

Epithelial compensation. Tobacco smoke, which, penetrating deep into the body, causes vasoconstriction for approximately 1.5 hours. When the patient smokes cigarettes in the range of 1-1.5 hours, the process will proceed without stopping. After giving up this bad habit, due to the normalization of blood flow, the subcutaneous glands will begin to function intensively, which will cause clogging of their pathways.
Hormonal changes. Quitting smoking is a kind of stressful situation for the body, which is adapting to unfamiliar operating conditions. This leads to hormonal disorders.
Exacerbation of skin diseases of allergic origin. Likewise, it can also cause a rash on the skin. The body needs a certain period of time to cleanse itself of toxic substances.

This does not happen immediately, it takes about 2 to 6 months, taking into account how long the person has been smoking.

How to deal with acne if you can't quit smoking?

The optimal solution for eliminating acne is eliminating the main cause, that is, giving up cigarettes. However, fighting addiction takes time and considerable effort, and the skin often needs to recover much faster.

In this case, to solve the problem you should resort to the following recommendations:

Personal hygiene. You should wash your face with special care products. If the water in the region leaves much to be desired, then it is better to resort to filtered or bottled water;
Change of linen. Particles of dead skin remain on towels and pillowcases, so this linen must be changed every 2-3 days;
Quitting the habit of touching your face. Many microbes collect on your hands throughout the day, and constant touching your face transfers pathogenic microorganisms to it, causing inflammation;
Diet correction. It is important to completely eliminate all foods that negatively affect the gastrointestinal tract - fatty, spicy, smoked, fast food;
Introduction to the antioxidant menu. These substances cleanse the body from the effects of free radicals. Contained in green tea, fruits, vegetables, garden herbs;
Drinking regime. To speed up the elimination of toxic substances and waste from the body, you should drink 2 liters of pure water without gas and flavoring additives;
Local pharmaceutical products. If the damage is significant, you should visit a cosmetologist and start using ointments and gels based on benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, tea tree oil;
Ascorbic acid. Smokers have a serious deficiency of this vitamin, so it is useful to consume citrus fruits, cabbage, berries, or drink it in the form of preparations;
Home cosmetology. It is advisable to prepare homemade masks based on healthy and natural products, which not only get rid of acne and rashes, but also improve the general condition of the dermis.

The last important recommendation is to reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke. Fewer tobacco smoke and free radicals entering the body will reduce the size and frequency of breakouts.