bad habits: smoking
The visible damage
We all know that you’re not going to improve your looks by inhaling smoke every day. There’s a reason why smokers develop grey, sallow skin, lined faces and stained teeth. Free radicals (microscopic environmental aggressors), cause a breakdown of skin-supporting collagen and elastin. “Every puff of a cigarette increases the hit of free radicals on the body,” says Emma Hobson, education manager at the International Dermal Institute. Each gene in every cell of our body sustains an estimated 10,000 free radical hits every day. If you smoke, you get one-to-five million extra free radical hits per inhalation. “The grey pallor you so often see on smokers is the result of nicotine reducing the blood flow to the skin, depriving it of vital oxygen and nutrients,” Hobson adds. Smokers are also likely to develop lines around the mouth because of the over-use of the muscles to hold the cigarette. The lines around the eyes that smokers are prone to are caused by squinting the eyes to avoid the smoke. “Generally, a heavy smoker will age 10 years earlier than non-smokers,” Hobson notes.
The deeper damage
In addition to nicotine, there are over 4000 chemicals released into the body when tobacco burns – hardly surprising, then, that it’s the number one cause of death in Australia. We have over three million smokers and it kills over 19,000 Australians a year. It causes cancer, emphysema and heart disease and can shorten your life by 10 years or more. So why do 21 per cent of Australian women still do it?
What you can do now
Quit. If you’ve tried and been unsuccessful, at least cut down. Nutrition scientist Joanna McMillan-Price recommends exercise and full-body massages to improve circulation and to get the oxygen pumping around the system. Combine this with consuming high quantities of antioxidants, such as green or white tea, eating lots of red berries and taking grapeseed extract and ginkgo biloba, and you’ll help lessen the effects. Natalie Clays, former smoker and now anti-smoking advocate, says if you’re having trouble giving up, speak to your pharmacist about nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). This involves nicotine patches, inhalers, nasal sprays, gum or tablets. They will have side effects, so seek professional advice. McMillan-Price adds that hypnotherapy and acupuncture are good natural alternatives, but may require a bit longer to take effect. Once you give up, results will soon be evident. After just two weeks, circulation will increase and will continue to improve for the next 10 weeks. After one year, your risk of a heart attack will have dropped by half. And then there’s that radiant skin.
Key needs: Hydration, anti-ageing and vitamin boosting
1. Age Defying Sculpt-Logic Day Cream, $45, by Revlon, 1800 025 488. Restores lost moisture, making the skin’s structure stronger.
2. Moisture Defense Antioxidant Lotion, $110, by MD Formulations, 1800 808 993. Antioxidants, hyaluronic moisturisers, vitamin E and green tea hydrate skin and decrease free-radical damage.
3. Ultra Correction Total Eye Revitalizer, $110, by Chanel, 02 9900 2944. Smooths fine lines around the eyes, caused by dehydration.
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