Smoking May Increase Body Wrinkles, Too!

You’ve probably heard that smoking has been linked to an increase in facial wrinkles. This is thought to occur from the combined effects of dehydration from the smoke, and the constant pulling of the skin around the mouth as you inhale.

The Archives of Dermatology reports that facial wrinkles aren’t the only thing to be concerned about. Smoking may increase body wrinkles, too- even on parts of the body which are normally covered by clothes.

In this study, participants were 22-91 years old, with an average age of 56. Most had been smoking heavily for many years.

A medical photographer took pictures of each participant’s inner upper arm. Photos were then reviewed by two dermatology students and one medical resident, none of whom knew which pictures belonged to which person.

Smokers had the highest scores for wrinkles, indicating that they had the deepest wrinkles in this arm area.

Researchers say that more study is needed, but these preliminary results suggest that heavy smoking impacts the skin all over the body, not just the face.

Yet another reason to quit smoking.