Passive smoking and skin

As the debate on anti-social smoking continues, it is interesting that opinion polls indicate more and more people are in favour of a smoking ban in public places. This is good news for all of us as a lab report by leading skin experts at Clinique Laboratories have revealed that passive smoking can seriously damage your looks.

Most non smokers dislike the lingering smell of smoke on your clothes and hair after spending time in a smoky atmosphere, not to mention the risks to your health. But would you continue to tolerate these unpleasant effects if you knew that you could actually end up with 'smoker's skin’ - dry, coarsened skin with a grey or yellowish, wrinkled look? My guess is that you would not.

According to the in-depth research carried out earlier this year, smoke triggers oxidisation - a deadly process for your skin cells. The toxic mix of over 3000 chemicals in cigarette smoke that come into contact with the skin's surface will penetrate the outer barrier and unleash oxygen-based free-radicals which attack skin cells. Consequently the damaged cells lose their ability to repair DNA and connective collagen fibres, leading to a reduction in skin's elastin and collagen. This leads to wrinkles, lines, discolouration and other unattractive skin complaints.

So is the damage already done or can you take action now to prevent further damage caused by exhaled smoke? With our non-surgical skin treatment we treat many types of skin damage and do see “smokers skin”, usually as a result of someone smoking.

According to Clinique Laboratories, reducing stressors and protecting the skin's barrier from further damage could be an answer.

1) Reduce oxidative stressors by:

2) Protect the skin's barrier by:

• Using a moisturiser with ingredients that can help skin to repair its surface, such as shea butter, ceramides, fatty acids and cholesterol

3) Protect the skin from further damage by: