A new season means loads of fun new beauty trends to try. From beach-wave hair and sun-kissed, glowing skin, to graphic cat eyes and plump red lips, there’s loads of simple yet striking looks to get on board with.
However, if you’re one of the UK’s 9.4 million smokers, these ‘effortless’ looks may not be so simple. We show you the effects smoking has on your appearance and explain why ditching the fags will help you make the most of 2019’s beauty trends.
Deadly dull
We’re all aware of the major health issues caused by smoking, but one of the lesser-known things it does is restrict the blood vessels.
As a result, your skin doesn’t receive enough oxygen, which carries essential nutrients that help your skin rejuvenate itself and keep its healthy glow. Therefore, smokers’ skin tends to look dull, grey, and often a touch on the yellow side.
This is not ideal if you’re hoping to achieve the ‘just back from holiday’ look this year, something which depends entirely on glowing, healthy skin that looks like it’s been delicately tanned – not stained a slightly sickly yellow by the toxins in smoke.
The patchy look
2019 seems to be all about naturally perfect skin. Whether it’s glossy and dewy complexions that have you looking like you’ve just had a facial, to golden-tinted cheeks for that ultimate summer glow, your skin needs to be looking its best.
Psoriasis might hamper your attempts at this. Admittedly, this skin condition is an autoimmune disorder and can happen to non-smokers too, but smokers double their risk of getting it as a result of their daily habit.
Not only that, but after 11-20 years of smoking, your risk of psoriasis goes up by an enormous 60%. It’s an unnecessary thing to risk if you’ve fallen for the easy natural looks that are leading this season’s beauty trends.
Not-so-flawless skin
It’s not just skin conditions that you can fall prey to if you’re a smoker.
Wrinkles are one of the most visually obvious things that smoking can cause. Because dangerous chemicals in fags like carbon monoxide constrict the blood vessels, your skin not only loses out on its glow and even tone, but it also isn’t able to maintain its collagen levels – the structural protein that stops you developing wrinkles during your youth and helps heal wounds.
The result? You age a lot quicker. So much so, in fact, that your skin can age as much as 10-20 years, particularly around the mouth where you’re likely to quickly form pucker marks. Not only that, but any injuries you have will take longer to heal – a real bugbear if you’re prone to catching yourself with the straighteners in the morning!
So, achieving that youthful glow is a no-go if you’re a smoker. Also, those bold and graphic eyeliner looks might look a bit dodge around all those wrinkles…
Yellow gnashers
Perhaps one of the most obvious results of smoking is yellowing – and even browning – of the teeth.
The toxins in smoke are the cause for this staining. No matter how clean you’re keeping your teeth, the chemicals and the tar will still change your smile from a dazzling white one to a slightly unpleasant tainted one.
You could, of course, get your teeth whitened. But this can run into the thousands – and what’s the point in spending that kind of cash if you’re going to continue smoking?
The other issues, is that rocking this season’s red lip won’t look so slick. They say red lipstick can make teeth look whiter, but it can’t perform miracles. It’s easier just to stub out the habit.
A hair-raising fact
Dreaming of long and luscious beachy waves or thick and healthy locks tinted with a funky pantone hue this season? Well, if you’re a smoker, think again.
The toxins in chemicals interfere with the structure of your hair follicles, which often leaves to thinning and more brittle hair. This can also mean that your hair goes greyer quicker and – more worryingly – you’re more likely to lose it quickly too. In fact, men who smoke are twice as likely to lose their hair as non-smokers.
For the sake of your hair – and for fashion – it’s time to stop smoking.
Want to quit smoking for good?
Visit changeincorporated.com for further information.
Advertisement paid for by Change Incorporated (VICE) for its Quit Cigarettes initiative. Philip Morris International funds this initiative but has no editorial input, so may not share the views expressed.