Does Smoking Cause Acne?

January 25, 2017

If you wonder “Does Smoking Cause Acne”, you may want to read this.

We often have new clients come to us who will ask “Does smoking cause acne? What if I only smoke 2 cigarettes a day? Does that affect my skin?” For people who do smoke and wonder “does smoking cause acne”, this is an important article to read.

In the past, there has only been speculation about the correlation of acne breakouts and smoking – that smoking causes acne breakouts. Until recently, this theory has gone scientifically unproven, but now there is plenty of evidence to prove smoking causes acne.

Scientists at the San Gallicano Dermatological Institute in Rome, Italy found that cigarette smoking causes acne breakouts, specifically non-inflamed blackheads and blocked pores. While non-smokers might be more inclined to experience inflamed breakouts, “non-inflamed” breakouts is something that is so prevalent with smokers, it has been deemed “Smoker’s Acne”.

An interesting statistic for you to contemplate: this study found that while 10% of non-smokers complain of having acne, a whopping 42% of smokers complain of acne breakouts. That is pretty telling isn’t it?

Additionally in a study by the Epidemiology Biostatistics and Public Health, the conclusion was that smokers have a higher risk of developing acne, especially males.

When you smoke, the particles that you inhale into your lungs eventually get into your bloodstream and are excreted through the oil glands. These chemicals are irritating to the skin. In response to the irritation and destruction of skin cells, your body produces a higher number of skin cells in that area. The more skin cells you produce inside the hair follicles, the higher the number of skin cells that die off and get clogged – leading to the formation of new pimples and blackheads.

The nicotine also constricts blood flow to the skin which makes it appear lackluster and pale. The healing rate decreases so pimples stay longer and more stubborn blackheads form. Elasticity of the skin declines which makes pores larger and more visible.

We all know smoking can cause a myriad of other health issues – atherosclerosis, emphysema, heart disease, lung cancer, strokes, as well as pre-mature aging from the exaggerated loss of collagen in the skin. But we also know smoking is highly addictive and is an extremely difficult habit to break. Many times, when we tell clients about lifestyle changes that dramatically improve their skin – changes like healthier eating, getting plenty of sleep, using a more acne-friendly birth control pill and not smoking, they are amenable to everything BUT quitting smoking. We get it. We also get that it’s important to understand the full spectrum of damage that smoking does to your body and skin.

One helpful tip to stop smoking is to focus on the reasons why you DO smoke. Is it a reaction to stress? Boredom? Weight control? To be popular or fit in? To treat depression? One’s motivation to stop smoking is easier to muster up if you know WHY you do it so you can replace those urges with something non harmful. Instead of grabbing a cigarette to fill one of these reasons, take a walk, do deep breathing, call a friend, walk outside and look at nature, think of a memory that makes you feel loved, read a joke, do 10 pushups, see a counselor, hug your dog or cat, eat a piece of celery – anything other than light up! The more you replace those cigarettes with something that makes you feel good, the easier it will get to choose a healthier alternative.