Research finds link between smoking and skin damage

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Smoking is a potent factor in skin aging in areas that are not exposed to the sunlight.
At one time, smoking had a glamorous image. The reality is quite the opposite - smoking ages the skin and there's new evidence of this from researchers at the University of Michigan Health System. We already know that exposure to sunlight can age the skin - but in this new study, they have looked at skin that is not normally so exposed, such as the inside of the upper arm.

A photonumeric scale was used to measure the degree of skin aging from photographs of the inside upper arm skin of 77 participants. In the 45-65 age group, smokers had an average score of more than two on the photonumeric scale while nonsmokers had an average score of less than one. In the 65-plus age group, smokers had a score of around six, nonsmokers around four. On the photonumeric scale, a score of zero corresponded to no wrinkles, while a score of eight represented severe fine wrinkling. Therefore, do not smoke if you want to minimize skin aging.

Source
Archives of Dermatology March 2007 Volume 143 pages 397-402

Please take a moment to give us your comments. For questions about Health matters you may check our "Questions & Answers" Portal and Service.