Most of us are pretty clued-up on the dangers of smoking when it comes to our health, but did you know that the habit could also play havoc with your looks?
Recent statistics have shown that one quarter of Britain's 15 year olds (both boys and girls) are regular smokers. And in the modelling world is not different. It is not difficult to see models smoking in the backstage of fashion shows, photo shoots and after parties.
'It may be hard, but the best thing you can do for a beautiful, glowing complexion is to stop smoking. Smoking both dehydrates and deprives your skin of oxygen, so you will see real benefits - skin will become smoother and more radiant.' Sarah Monzani, make-up artist to Madonna.
Along with sun damage and hard living, nicotine can add years to your appearance.
Cigarette smoke contains more than 4000 toxins, many of which are absorbed directly into the bloodstream and are taken by the blood into the skin's structure. Smoking also causes the blood vessels in the top layers of the skin to constrict, so thickening and reducing the oxygen levels in the blood. This also reduces the levels of collagen in the skin.
A smoker's skin is normally thinner due to poor circulation, and there are visible signs of premature ageing, with lines and wrinkles more established.
Smoking can also alter your body shape. As if maintaining an enviable figure wasn't tough enough already - smoking can create an imbalance in women's hormone levels, which can lead to changes in body shape. You may have heard the saying that smokers tend to be thinner than non-smokers. However, smoking actually affects the endocrinal system - the glands that secrete hormones - and changes body shape, increasing the waist-to-hip ratio. Therefore, despite possibly weighing less, smokers tend to be pot-bellied with spindly legs, probably due to smoking upsetting the hormone levels, thus causing smokers to store the normal amount of fat in an abnormal way, which gives rise to the 'apple' shape.
To avoid the look, the first step is to cut out the smoking habit and invest in facial creams with antioxidants, which fight the free-radicals that are causing your skin to age prematurely; Oxygen and collagen-boosting products and salon treatments that will help you to optimise your skin 's oxygen and collagen levels, albeit on a temporary basis - unless you have the cash to splash out on regular trips to the beauty salon
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