How Smoking Causes Acne

Acne is a skin problem that is faced by many teenagers and adults alike all over the world. It is a skin condition that is also synonymous with pimples or zits, and causes whiteheads, blackheads and inflammation on the skin. When the sebaceous or oil glands of the skin produce too much oil, it blocks the pores; dirt, debris and bacteria accumulate in it and this result in painful eruptions on the skin. Not only do they blemish your skin, they mostly also leave behind terrible scars. No wonder it is one of the most abhorred skin disorders!

Acne can be caused due to various reasons. Changes in the level of hormones in the body, due to menstruation, birth control pills, pregnancy or even stress can result in the breakout of acne. Oily cosmetic or hair products and high levels of humidity and sweating are some other common causes. Smoking is another known cause of acne.

Research has shown undeniably that there is a connection between smoking and acne. Chances are that if you have suffered from acne as a teenager and if you are a smoker, you will experience a relapse of acne. In fact research has proved that 40% of women who are smokers suffer from adult acne.

Prevention or improvement of acne is very strongly associated with maintaining the body's immune and hormonal systems at optimum levels. However with each smoke you intake about 4000 various chemicals in your body, which negatively impact both your immune system and your hormonal balance.

Thus with each puff of smoke you are increasing the chances of the pores on your skin getting blocked. And the more easily the pores get blocked, higher are the chances of bacteria infecting the pores and consequently causing a breakout of acne. Apart from causing chaos in your hormonal balance, smoking also causes an increase in the sebum secretion of your skin.

Moreover with each puff of smoke you cause more and more damage to organs like the liver, kidneys, skin and other parts of the body which are essential for the detoxification process. As a result the process of detoxification slows down and thus acne gets aggravated. Acne is very strongly influenced by the level of toxicity in your body and the more you smoke the higher is the amount of toxins in your body and thus lesser are the chances of your acne reducing anytime soon.

Though this is still an ongoing debate, most researchers believe that smoking worsens the acne conditions. Researchers suggest that non-inflamed blackheads and blocked pores are mainly caused due to a person's smoking habits. While non-smokers suffer from inflammatory acne, non-inflamed acne is more commonly seen among smokers.

However the rate of acne breakout is much higher in smokers than in non-smokers. A detailed study conducted among women between 25 and 50, showed that a quarter of women who were suffering from non-inflamed acne were smokers. Similarly passive smoking also has similarly harmful effects on acne. If you are in a room full of smoke, chances are that the smoke will affect and consequently block your pores resulting in acne.

Though some researchers may not agree that smoking has any direct relation with acne, it has been proved beyond any doubt that smoking is nonetheless very harmful for the skin. The chemicals along with the nicotine of a cigarette are known to induce inflammatory reactions in various parts of the body, especially the skin, which is the most vulnerable organ. Smoking also creates free radicals, and degrades skin protein which in turn results in premature aging of the skin.

Moreover the chemicals that are absorbed from tobacco, also damages the connective tissue that lies beneath the skin, which inevitably results in wrinkling of the skin. Thus, though it is still under debate, how much smoking affects acne, it is certain that smoking definitely damages the skin in more ways than one.

In fact, those who have quit smoking have reported the skin showing improvement within a matter of weeks. Acne tends to reduce once you reduce smoking. The skin becomes smoother and lighter and the intensity of pores on the skin reduces as well. So do the blemishes on your skin. Once you quit smoking the overall health of the skin shows a drastic improvement within a matter of a couple of weeks!