Smoking and nutrition for wrinkles
Smoking cigarettes ages skin faster than anything else apart from sun damage. There's no gentle way of saying this. If you smoke cigarettes you need to stop. Aside from the many health issues associated with smoking - if you care at all about wrinkles and you want to look younger for longer - then smoking is out.
Smoking restricts blood flow through the capillaries (tiny veins near the skins surface) preventing oxygen and nutrients getting to the skin smoking increases production of an enzyme which breaks down the supply of collagen to the skin's structure. Collagen supply is vital to the skin's elasticity. It decreases with age but smoking cigarettes accelerates this process. Vitamin C is required for healthy collagen prodcution and smoking destroys Vitamin C fast.
Smoking reduces the body's store of vitamin A which provides protection from skin damage smoking gets in the way of absorption of vitamin C - a vital antioxidant for skin protection and health smokers continual puckering from drawing on a cigarette and squinting in reaction to the cigarette smoke results in deeply wrinkled skin around the eyes and mouth - classic signs of 'smoker's face'.
Acknowledgement: Julie Dennis Skin Care
To combat aging for smokers I would recommend you take a broad-spectrum high-quality mega antioxidant and multi mineral, a high quality grapeseed extract and high quality omega-3. That way you would get the extra nutrition that your body is lacking as well as preventing further aging.
Cheers,
Helen
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