What happens to your facial skin after you quit smoking?

Here is one more reason to quit smoking- it makes you look much older than you are.  Dr. Flora Levin, an oculoplastic surgeon specializing in cosmetic eyelid surgery and non-surgical facial skin rejuvenation, provides this succinct description: “The facial skin of a 40-year-old heavy smoker resembles that on a non-smoking 70-year-old. The facial skin is dry and coarse with deep facial wrinkles and furrows, a slack jawline, discoloration and an uneven tone. The eyelids are often baggy with creped facial skin. The neck is saggy with loose skin and the blood vessels are dilated and prominent. The term ‘smoker’s face’ is used to describe these facial skin characteristics, which are all caused by smoking.[1]

Why does this happen?  It happens because the tobacco smoke contains thousands of chemicals and carcinogens that cause serious damage (we won’t talk about cancer and heart disease now, just about damage to the facial skin).  Primarily, cigarette smoke is detrimental to blood circulation and just one cigarettes can limit blood flow for up to and hour and a half.  Therefore, the facial skin is starved of oxygen for long periods of time which results in the breakdown of collagen and elastin- proteins that are essential for firm and healthy facial skin.

The list goes on.  Since the blood flow is hindered, there is an increase in broken capillaries and veins which cause dark scarring on the face.  Also, the nicotine slows down the healing process so the skin is less able to repair itself from intrinsic and extrinsic damage.  Lastly, distinct furrows and wrinkles are formed from smoking- the act of sucking on the cigarette causes lines around your mouth and brows, and since the action is repeated, the lines become more pronounced.

Bottom line- smoking causes premature facial skin aging, slows down wound healing and increases the rate of infection.  Smokers often suffer from discoloration of the teeth and tongue, wrinkles and fine lines, bags under the eyes, slack in the jawline and dry, coarse skin.  And unfortunately, smokers experience higher rates of facial skin disorders such as: skin cancer, psoriasis, Hidradenitis suppurativa (chronic boils in the groin and armpits area), lupus and acne.

Okay. Enough with all the gloom and doom. This post is about your facial skin after you quit.  So here is the good news.  Our bodies are the most wondrous machines, and if you give your body a chance, it will do its best to reverse the damage.  So once you quit smoking your blood circulation will improve and your facial skin will begin to heal itself.  This means that it will start to produce more collagen and elastin which will restore your skin’s firmness and elasticity.  Also, once you quit smoking, the coloration of your facial skin will dramatically improve since the skin won’t be infused with chemicals that suppress it.

Regarding the wrinkles, they may not go away  at once, but they won’t get worse.  There are however many things you can do to reduce wrinkles and fine lines. First, you can start by infusing your skin with vitamin C and E which help the skin to revitalize itself.  The NowMi treatment is excellent in this respect since it oxygenate your facial skin restoring the needed oxygen to your face. It infuses the skin with 50% concentration of pure vitamin C, vitamin E and hyaluronic acid.  The ingredients help the facial skin regain its firmness and elasticity and reduce the appearance of wrinkles as proved by clinical study. Best of all it is a personal skin oxygenation device and the NowMi vitamin C oxygen facial treatment can be done anywhere and anytime. It takes only 5 minutes to restore your glow and revitalized facial skin.

NowMi Pro is now on sale with Special Offer: Buy now a NowMi Pro Kit from the inventor of OxyGeneo and receive Free of Charge a NowMi refill kit (valued at $99) that will give you 3 extra months vitamin C oxygen facial treatments at home.

There are also a wide range of minimally and invasive aesthetic treatments out there.  The technologies are constantly evolving, and the results are really impressive.  No matter what path you choose, the first step is to say goodbye to smoking and hello to a healthier you.

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[1] https://www.zwivel.com/blog/how-smoking-affects-your-skin/

Facial skin peels

The NowMi treatment gently exfoliates the skinYouth, while taken for granted by the X and Y generations, is so sought after by those of us who’ve passed that stage of life. Many things cause our facial skin to age, especially UV radiation emitted by the sun.  The UV creates  free radicals that damage the facial skin cells and destroy the collagen and elastin in the dermis, causing wrinkles and sagging skin. UV rays also accelerate the production of facial skin pigment (melanin), resulting in the appearance of sun spots or age spots.

Nowadays there is a multitude of anti-aging skin care approaches out there. It’s become nearly impossible to decipher them all. One approach that has stood the test of time and has proven to show very clear and visible results is chemical facial skin peeling. All facial skin peels remove the top layer of the skin to exfoliate and speed up cell turnover.

Chemical peel benefits:

A facial chemical peel is performed by applying a chemical solution onto the skin which destroys the cells in contact with the solution and eventually causes the facial skin to peel off. The new skin is usually smoother and less wrinkled than the old skin. With a chemical peel you can achieve the following results:

  • Reduce fine lines under the eyes and around the mouth
  • Treat wrinkles caused by sun damage and aging
  • Improve the appearance of mild scars
  • Treat certain types of acne
  • Reduce age spots, freckles, and dark patches

After a chemical peel, for a long period, the facial skin is more sensitive to the sun and must be protected by constantly wearing sunscreen and avoiding direct sun exposure.

Light chemical peels for facial skin

Light chemical peels are used to treat fine lines, areas of dryness, uneven pigmentation and acne. The solution used for light chemical peels is usually comprised of alphahydroxy acids and beta hydroxy acids, such as glycolic, lactic, salicylic, or fruit acids, all known to be quite light. They’re especially good for combating acne or oily facial skin issues because they break down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together, allowing for easier exfoliation. Light chemical peels are ideal for people who want the benefits of a facial peel but do not wish to spend the longer time required to recover from a deeper peel.

Medium chemical peels for facial skin

Trichloroacetic acid (TCA) peels are considered to be more medium depth peels. This chemical peel works well for treating fine surface wrinkles, superficial blemishes, and pigmentation problems.

The downside of these medium chemical peels is that they feel slightly more uncomfortable than the lighter peels, have more side effects, such as swelling and redness, and require more down time. The peeling of the facial skin is very noticeable, so it’s best to perform these treatments over a period of time when you can rest up to a week.

TCA peels are also considered the preferred choice for patients with darker skin.

Deep chemical peels for facial skin

The carbolic acid face peel, also known as a the Phenol peel, is the strongest peeling treatment. Deep peels are used to treat coarse facial wrinkles, blotches caused by aging or sun exposure and pre-cancerous growths.

While the deep chemical peel produces the most dramatic and the longest-lasting results, it take longer to perform (a few hours) and requires the most healing time. The procedure must be performed by qualified cosmetic dermatologist.

After the deep peeling you can expect your facial skin to be very red, and following the procedure you will need downtime of at least 1 week and a healing time of at least 2 months.

Phenol peel is typically used only for facial peels because the deep chemical peel may cause permanent lightening of the skin.