Smoking kills, it says so in the box. But can it also make your acne worse?
Both scientific and anecdotal evidence is at best inconclusive. Looking through acne forums you’ll see both yea and nay votes; some people say smoking gives them more pimples while some say it has no effect on their skin.
Published research does little to clear the confusion.
Scientific research on smoking and acne
Some studies report that smoking causes acne. Researchers at the San Gallicano Dermatological Institute in Rome, Italy, found that smoking causes non-inflammatory adult acne in women, source: Acne and smoking. Another study suggested that smoking and obesity are linked to acne inversa, source: Smoking and obesity are associated factors in acne inversa: results of a retrospective investigation in 100 patients.
Just so that getting clear wouldn’t become too simple, some studies suggest that smoking has a protective effect on acne; that is, that smoking decreases acne. A study done at the Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Antwerp, Edegem, Belgium, found that girls who smoked has significantly less acne than girls who didn’t smoke. The study found no relationship between smoking and acne for boys. The subjects in the study were school-going adolescents. The researchers are quick to point out that smoking shouldn’t be considered as a therapeutic option for acne, source: Cigarette smoking and acne in adolescents: results from a cross-sectional study. Another study done is Israel found that active smokers had significantly less severe acne than non-smokers, source: Severe acne vulgaris and tobacco smoking in young men. A UK study came up with a similar conclusion, source: Does smoking influence acne?
So what can you make of all this?
First, there is no black and white connection between smoking and acne. This shouldn’t come as a surprise as acne is a complicated condition. In trying to understand acne you have to take a holistic outlook. Trying to isolate and study a single factor is bound to bring confusing results. Aside from stress and negative emotions, there are very few factors that are clearly connected with acne.
Second, even if smoking wouldn’t directly cause acne, you are still better off quitting. Several studies have linked smoking to skin problems, such as these:
- Tobacco and the skin
- Smoking and the skin
- Cutaneous effects of smoking
- Dermatological manifestations of smoking
Smoking has been shown to:
- Causes premature aging on the skin
- Contributes to several inflammatory skin conditions, such as psoriasis and eczema
- Slows down wound healing
- Causes wrinkles, especially for women
There also exists little doubt that smoking is bad for your overall health. The SMOKING KILLS label in front of a cigarette box leaves little room for doubt.
Smoking makes it harder to follow a proven program that gets you clear
Given one wish most acne victims would hope to never see another pimple on their face. Experience with Clear for Life has shown that a holistic approach that takes into account diet, lifestyle and emotional health is the best way to achieve permanently clear skin.
Not all the factors in Clear for Life program are directly linked to acne. However they are all connected to your overall health, and your health is only as strong as your weakest link is. Furthermore all aspects of health reinforce one another; it’s easier to eat healthy when you exercise, and it’s easier to exercise when you sleep well. In this light smoking clearly doesn’t help you to get clear.
Did you like this? Then you will also love these products:
Clear for Life: Lifestyle for Health, Happiness and Clear Skin
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Emotional Healing for Clear Skin: Simple system for healing the emotional pain acne causes