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Semnan, Iran — A recent study indicates that there is a significant association between cigarette smoking and the development and severity of acne lesions. According to one expert, acne patients who withdraw from cigarette smoking can improve their acne condition.
Whether smoking induces acne remains controversial. However, an increasing number of studies are concluding that cigarette smoking causes a new disease entity called "smoker’s acne."
"It is known that cigarette smoking increases the levels of carbon monoxide within the body, which in turn stimulates the sebaceous glands to produce excessive amounts of sebum.
"This increased production of sebum will inevitably clog the hair follicles, which in turn will cause the erythematous papular and nodular lesions commonly seen in acne patients.
"This increased and continual production of sebum will likely lead to a worsening of the acne condition," says Mohammad Nassaji-Zavareh, M.D., of the department of infectious diseases, Fatemieh Hospital, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.
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In many cases, these changes to skin are not life threatening, though they can change the physical appearance of the smoker. For example, smoking is associated with premature ageing and wrinkles. Smoking is also associated with very serious skin conditions, including squamous cell carcinoma of the skin (a type of skin cancer) and psoriasis. Awareness of the changes to physical appearance and the serious skin conditions associated with smoking may help motivate individuals to quit smoking.
How smoking affects the skin
The precise ways in which tobacco smoke damages or changes skin are not fully understood, though scientific studies have produced evidence about a number of possible ways. Studies suggest that tobacco smoke exposure decreases capillary and arteriolar blood flow, possibly damaging connective tissues that help maintain healthy skin. Skin fibroblasts (the cells in connective tissue that form collagen and elastin) are damaged by tobacco smoke.
Smokers with darker skin may be more affected by nicotine than lighter-skinned ones are, a new study finds.
Researchers said it was possible that the nicotine in tobacco bound to melanin, which gives skin its color. The darker the skin, the greater the amount of melanin -- and perhaps the more nicotine is stored.
The researchers, whose study appears in Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior, noted the small number of people used in the study and said the findings should be considered preliminary.
But the research may shed light into why some people appear more affected by nicotine than others.
Higher concentrations of melanin -- the color pigment in skin and hair -- may be placing darker pigmented smokers at increased susceptibility to nicotine dependence and tobacco-related carcinogens than lighter skinned smokers, according to scientists.
"We have found that the concentration of melanin is directly related to the number of cigarettes smoked daily, levels of nicotine dependence, and nicotine exposure among African Americans," said Gary King, professor of biobehavioral health, Penn State.
Nicotine's affinity for melanin-containing tissues may result from its precursor function in melanin synthesis or the irreversible binding of melanin and nicotine. The objective of this study was to investigate a hypothesized association of tobacco use, dependence, and nicotine exposure with melanin pigmentation among African American smokers. . . .
The results of this analysis support the hypothesis of a positive association between melanin levels and tobacco use, dependence, and exposure among African American smokers. This analysis may have important implications for research and interventions on tobacco dependence and disease outcomes. Further research on melanin and nicotine among African Americans as well as other population groups is warranted.
d hair -- may be placing darker pigmented smokers at increased susceptibility to nicotine dependence and tobacco-related carcinogens than lighter skinned smokers, according to scientists.
King states that previous research shows that nicotine has a biochemical affinity for melanin. Conceivably, this association could result in an accumulation of the addictive agent in melanin-containing tissues of smokers with greater amounts of skin pigmentation.
"The point of the study is that, if in fact, nicotine does bind to melanin, populations with high levels of melanin could indicate certain types of smoking behavior, dependence, and health outcomes that will be different from those in less pigmented populations," explained King. "And the addiction process may very well be longer and more severe."
The team's findings appear in the June issue of the journal Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior.
Background
Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a long-standing disease with abscess and often fistula formation, predominantly in the axillae and groins. The disease is difficult to treat and has a severe impact on quality of life. A clinically relevant system for scoring disease severity is lacking in HS.
Objectives
To evaluate the modified Hidradenitis Suppurativa Score (HSS) and to study the impact of body mass index (BMI) and smoking habits on disease severity. . . .
Conclusions
The modified HSS is simple and practical and it extracts important clinical information. A connection between disease severity and BMI as well as smoking habits in patients with HS is presented.
People use the color of your skin to judge how healthy you are, according to researchers at the University of St Andrews. The findings are published April 1 in the online, open-access, peer-reviewed journal PLoS ONE.
Scientists in the School of Psychology have shown that there is truth to the received wisdom that a "rosy" complexion denotes healthiness, whilst a "green" or "pale" color indicates illness.
Lead researcher Ian Stephen worked with the University's Perception Lab to determine how face color is associated with healthy looks. . . .
"Our skin contains many tiny blood vessels that carry blood laden with oxygen to the skin cells, allowing them to "breathe", and allowing us to lose heat during exercise. People who are physically fit or have higher levels of sex hormones have more of these blood vessels and flush easier than people who are unhealthy, unfit, elderly or smokers. Physically fit people also have more oxygen in their blood than people who are unfit or have heart or lung illnesses." . . .
"Since your attractiveness relies upon how healthy you look, you might be able to make yourself more attractive by being kind to your heart and lungs in doing more exercise or quitting smoking," concluded Ian Stephen.
Young smokers say concern about the effects of smoking on their appearance is a good reason to quit smoking, but not until they see visible changes to their appearance. This is the finding of a study by Professor Sarah Grogan of the University of Staffordshire and colleagues Gary Fry, Brendan Gough and Mark Conner, published today (26th January 2009) in the British Journal of Health Psychology.
87 smokers and non-smokers aged 17-24 took part in the study, based on focus groups. The smokers discussed how smoking impacted negatively on physical appearance (skin, teeth, hair, and weight), and how they made sense of their smoking. The non-smokers also discussed a potential link between appearance and smoking, together with any appearance-related concerns that would discourage them from taking up the habit.
Male and female smokers were concerned about the impact of smoking on their appearance, but would quit only if skin ageing, wrinkling or other negative effects on appearance became noticeable. The young people did not consider themselves at immediate risk of such effects as they were thought to occur in older smokers only. Non-smokers expressed concern about the impact on skin and teeth if they started smoking.
The Skin Deep column last Thursday, about cosmetic surgeons who want patients to stop smoking, misstated part of the name of a medical association. It is the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, not the American Association of Cosmetic Surgery.
the growing number of cosmetic-surgery patients are motivated to quit for other reasons: vanity, and the threat of not being able to get a coveted new face, stomach or pair of breasts. . . .
For the last 5 to 10 years, many plastic and cosmetic surgeons have refused to operate on smokers, especially those seeking a face-lift, tummy tuck, or breast-lift — procedures that require skin to be shifted.
“Nicotine causes the tiny blood vessels in the skin to clamp down or constrict, which reduces blood supply to the skin,” said Dr. Darshan Shah, a plastic surgeon in Bakersfield, Calif. Complications can include poor wound healing, increased risk of infection, longer-lasting bruises, and raised, red scars. . . .
Plastic and cosmetic surgeons recommend quitting a minimum of two weeks before and after procedures, though some require longer to be extra safe. (Smokers also run the risk of infection and respiratory complications during anesthesia). For instance, Dr. Jeffrey Rosenthal, the chief of plastic surgery at Bridgeport Hospital in Connecticut, mandates six weeks of smoke-free living before eyelid surgery or breast augmentation, and six months to a year before a tummy tuck.
They also take it upon themselves to devise smoking cessation plans, prescribe drugs like Wellbutrin or Chantix and recommend hypnotists or support groups. . . .
Then there’s the matter of the cosmetic surgeon’s reputation. It can’t help business if a cigarette-loving patient ends up looking like the Bride of Frankenstein.
Twenty-five years ago, it may have been more acceptable for a patient to have undergone surgical procedures while smoking. Nowadays if a doctor knew a patient was smoking and they did flap surgery [an operation where shifting skin is required] many of us would say that’s malpractice.Dr. Patrick McMenamin, the president-elect of the American Association of Cosmetic Surgery.
Experts, noting that some studies have even proven that cigarettes yield a stronger effect than sunrays, say: "If you don't want to experience early aging, quit smoking!"
Dull, wrinkled, dirty-gray skin, recognized by many as being "smokers' skin," is a phenomenon experienced by 79 percent of smokers, says Dr. Bayram Börekçi, a skin and venereal diseases expert. He explains; "Some of the symptoms we see on smokers' faces include permanent lines and wrinkles, as well as a collapsed facial expression resulting from the protruding bones underneath the skin. We also see thinning skin, a light-gray appearance, as well as a light orange/purple/red coloring. The ‘cigarette addict's face' is the same face seen on women over the age of 70. It is worth noting that people addicted to cigarettes start getting wrinkles very early.
In smoke-free Minnesota, five Minnesotans who personally struggled to go smoke-free are sharing their stories, from the time they started smoking to their state of physical and emotional well-being today. Their inspiring stories will be showcased in ClearWay Minnesota's traveling photo essay exhibit today at the IDS Crystal Court in Minneapolis.
The exhibit celebrates the efforts of Minnesotans who used QUITPLAN(R) Services, ClearWay Minnesota's free, professional stop-smoking programs that have helped more than 12,000 Minnesotans successfully quit tobacco since 2001.
Those visiting the exhibit will also have an opportunity see how their own faces could become wrinkled and discolored if they smoked for years. ClearWay Minnesota will be providing free demonstrations of age-progression software for visitors to experience.
Italian study findings have confirmed a link between smoking habits and the risk of developing psoriasis.
Previous research has indicated that smoking significantly increases the risk of developing psoriasis, explains Giampiero Favato, from Henley Management College in the UK. . . .
Favato notes in the American Journal of Medicine that the incidences of light, medium and heavy smoking were comparable in each of the two psoriasis cohorts studied, at about 16%, 20% and 5%, respectively.
He concludes: "Italian epidemiological data on adult psoriatic patients seem to confirm the correlation between smoking habits and the risk of developing the disease."
Scientists have long speculated cigarette smoke may accelerate hair loss and premature graying. The association was largely attributed to toxins in smoke that can harm hair follicles and damage hormones. According to epidemiological studies, that appears to be the case. A report in the journal BMJ looked at more than 600 men and women, half of them smokers. After controlling for variables, the researchers found a “significant” and “consistent” link between smoking and early graying. . . .
One question is whether the link is a result of tobacco toxins directly affecting the scalp, or of smoking’s causing severe disease that speeds aging.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Several studies suggest smoking can lead to premature graying and hair loss.