Smoking and Cellulite
You may have wondered if smoking and cellulite go hand in hand. Smoking is one of the most frowned-upon but amongst the most widely-practiced of bad habits. The habit slowly destroys your lungs and leaves you at greater risk for lung cancer, throat cancer, and mouth cancer. And while smoking causes problems with organs, it also deteriorates the quality of your skin.
Cigarette smoke contains various toxic chemicals – among them, cyanide, benzene, formaldehyde, methanol, acetylene (the fuel used in welding torches), and ammonia. Each of the chemicals are harmful to the body. Some of them are lethal if consumed in any other form, so its no surprise that these toxins can lead to skin problems including cellulite.
Smoking accelerates the aging process of the body, which makes cellulite look worse. One of the ways smoking damages your skin is by affecting collagen. Collagen is the main structural protein of the skin. It provides the structure necessary to keep skin firm and taut. Collagen is also a component of everything from blood vessels to organs. Naturally as a person ages, the cells of the body gradually produces less collagen. Smoking accelerates the breakdown of collagen in the skin and in the body. Collagen breakdown starts at a younger age and a faster rate for regular smokers.
Hyaluronic acid is a compound produced in the body that adds fullness and tautness to the skin. It helps prevent the hollow look that is often seen in older skin. It works by helping the cells retain moisture. As with collagen, the body naturally produces less hyaluronic acid as it ages. But the free radicals that are either present in cigarette smoke breaks down the chains of hyaluronic acid, leading poor skin.
Both of these problems have great effects on cellulite. Skin that is more firm and able to retain moisture (and thus smoothness) will be able to better hide the fat that cellulite is present. Think of skin like fabric. Healthy skin is like denim, and can better hide cellulite infected thighs. But skin that has been ravaged by years of smoking is more like spandex – stretchy, weak, and unable to hide anything.
Smoking also affects the quality of the blood and lymphatic vessels. This is due to the fact that both compounds are major components in the pipes that support our blood and lymphatic fluids. The skin is damaged due to the vessels in our body being less able to transport nutrients to the organs that need them. Smoking also affects blood flow by constricting the vessels. Both of these side effects contribute to poor nutrient transport and fluid retention which can lead to an increase in cellulite.
The only upside to the effects of smoking and cellulite is that the effects of smoking are not seen for awhile. In fact, if you are a younger adult, many of the physical problems that come with smoking may actually be reversed by living a healthy lifestyle. However, the longer you wait, the more irreversible damage that will be done to your body.
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