Alright, well I've done the research and the jury is still not out. Does smoking cigarettes aggravate/increase the severity of acne? I was a smoker on and off since I was 14 (4 years ago), but for the past two years I was non-stop. Probably about half pack a day kind of person on average. I quit about two months ago and haven't really noticed a difference in my breakouts. Granted things are improving, but that only started after i started my regimen. The frequency and kind of breakouts I am getting are no different than from when I still smoked.
There have been a few studies that actually state smoking can have an anti-inflammatory effect on existing acne. Of course are juxtaposed by articles stating that smoke causes your skin to produce excess sebum, therefore more acne erupts. I AM SO CONFUSED! I have also been craving nicotine like no ones business, so is anyone out there asking this same question? Does smoking cause acne??
Success stories, advice, and personal experience responses are all appreciated! Xo
**Note: I know all the negatives about smoking and cancer and blah blah blah. Please no lectures. I initially quit for my health, so I know all about it. I really would just love to know the answer to this question in case I cave into my cravings and impulses to smoke.
I've smoked on and off for the past ten years and I never noticed a direct correlation between the two. I wouldn't put too much thought into it. Even if you do cave and happen to get a zit afterwards it wouldn't necessarily be from smoking, it would take a lot of experimenting to really prove a connection. Good luck with the no smoking, next time you want one just think about the thousand other better reasons to not smoke 
Thanks guys I wish there was more research to back up this kind of stuff. Especially since smoking is such a popular hobby in modern culture. Trying to stay abstinent, but i don't know what's worse. Either the stress or smoking will kill me... just a question of what's worse lol
not really, but if you smoke for years, certain horomones can be affected and when you quit smoking this can negativley impact acne in some.
Smoking does however cause a huge surge of oxidative stress / free radicals which has been been all but proven to cause excellerated aging. Find me one 20 year smoker who looks healthy. So it may not affect acne, but it will certainly age your sorry ass alot faster than you'd like. And the scary part is you wont see the signs of it in most cases untill BAM all of a sudden you look haggard.
On a different note, totally unrelated. Don't go stand outside in long grass immediatley after taking a shower... fucking, mosquitoes....
Ive read it does hinder your bodies healing ability.
Ever thought why surgeons or dermatologist tells patients to stop smoking before any surgeries.
Also, it takes oxygen from you therefore less oxygen goes to your skin which is bad for your skin.
Smoking also destroys your lungs. Lungs detoxifies your body.
So what happens if your lungs is getting damaged? Well, obviously, your body's ability to detoxify your body depletes therefore accumulating toxins.
To cut things short......
SMoKING is bad for your body's health INCLUDING the SKIN.
In my group of friends no one really smokes. Smokers tend to hang out with other smokers. That's what we learn in health class. The samw with drug users. They hang out with other drug users.
not really, but if you smoke for years, certain horomones can be affected and when you quit smoking this can negativley impact acne in some.
Smoking does however cause a huge surge of oxidative stress / free radicals which has been been all but proven to cause excellerated aging. Find me one 20 year smoker who looks healthy. So it may not affect acne, but it will certainly age your sorry ass alot faster than you'd like. And the scary part is you wont see the signs of it in most cases untill BAM all of a sudden you look haggard.
On a different note, totally unrelated. Don't go stand outside in long grass immediatley after taking a shower... fucking, mosquitoes....
That's actually what I though (about the hormones). I mean after smoking for years how can it be possible that your body's chemistry and hormones don't change?? As for the tall grass... well I could have told you that 😛 haha I hope your bites don't itch too much!
Ive read it does hinder your bodies healing ability.
Ever thought why surgeons or dermatologist tells patients to stop smoking before any surgeries.
Also, it takes oxygen from you therefore less oxygen goes to your skin which is bad for your skin.
Smoking also destroys your lungs. Lungs detoxifies your body.
So what happens if your lungs is getting damaged? Well, obviously, your body's ability to detoxify your body depletes therefore accumulating toxins.
To cut things short......
SMoKING is bad for your body's health INCLUDING the SKIN.
In my group of friends no one really smokes. Smokers tend to hang out with other smokers. That's what we learn in health class. The samw with drug users. They hang out with other drug users.
That is definitely something to think about. Out bodies are so complicated, and yet so simple. Everything is interconnected. I guess it's a good thing then that I decided to quit... Problem is that ALL my friends are smokers. So i guess your theory proves true, though I believe I was the first to start smoking. My bad. Maybe I'll be the one to start the movement for healthier lungs and skin among my friends! Thank you for the insight, it totally makes sense 🙂
Thanks guys
I wish there was more research to back up this kind of stuff. Especially since smoking is such a popular hobby in modern culture. Trying to stay abstinent, but i don't know what's worse. Either the stress or smoking will kill me... just a question of what's worse lol
its not a hobby.
it shouldn't be a hobby.hobbies are options.while habits aint.
its a bad habit.
it can/may effect acne and skin/health in general in more than one way.
its all related.
its a body and every aspect is related.
Thanks guys
its not a hobby.
it shouldn't be a hobby.hobbies are options.while habits aint.
its a bad habit.
it can/may effect acne and skin/health in general in more than one way.
its all related.
its a body and every aspect is related.
You're definitely right, it is a very bad habit. I was just making light of an otherwise negative situation!
I used to smoke about 5-10 cigarettes a day, and it was helping me with stress and, sadly, with making new friends. I don't think it had a direct impact on my acne, but it did affect my skin texture. All the smoke didn't do my face any favors, and the first few months after I quit everyone was telling me that I look healthier and that my skin was glowing. It also felt good not to wake up in the middle of the night with a sore throat, and not to have stinky hands and clothes. I had to quit cold turkey though because every time I'd try to cut down I would just end up not quitting at all.
If you have hormonal issues, smoking can make them worse, esp. if you inhale, but there are bigger reasons to quit than that for sure.
I used to smoke about 5-10 cigarettes a day, and it was helping me with stress and, sadly, with making new friends. I don't think it had a direct impact on my acne, but it did affect my skin texture. All the smoke didn't do my face any favors, and the first few months after I quit everyone was telling me that I look healthier and that my skin was glowing. It also felt good not to wake up in the middle of the night with a sore throat, and not to have stinky hands and clothes. I had to quit cold turkey though because every time I'd try to cut down I would just end up not quitting at all.
If you have hormonal issues, smoking can make them worse, esp. if you inhale, but there are bigger reasons to quit than that for sure.
Okay, so I finally cracked and smoked about 5 cigarettes last night. When I went back inside my skin looked kind of irritated with me, so I just carried on with my normal regimen, took my medication, and went to sleep. This morning I woke up and my skin looked noticeably BETTER! Someone please explain that to me! There are research studies that say women who smoke has a 57% chance of having less non-inflammatory acne, but the health consequences are just too awful to ignore. Plus, my boyfriend smokes which makes things a lot more difficult. Ahhh so confusing!
First off I guess I have to be smart and tell you not to smoke. I am 21 and have been smoking since I was 14. I quit for 6 months this year mainly to see the effect on my skin. I ended up getting really stressed for my exams and had a couple cigarettes because I saw acne and thought "well I get it without them..." obviously I was too set on smoking to realize these were stress pimples. I've continued smoking since then and my acne as continued to get worse. I think this could be a total fluke though, I suffered with acne as a young teen and got my face completely clear with a few hormonal zits that time of the month from the age of 16 to 19. I may simply have suffered from an onset of adult acne. Anyway, my skin is a mess of small bumps and some cysts now and it drives me crazy. I've continued to smoke because it keeps me less stressed! I can't say anything for sure about the acne once I started smoking again but what I can say is that the smoking has made my skin much more sensitive and my skin takes much longer to heal. The pimples on my face take a lot longer to go away when I smoke on a regular basis and the red marks last longer. - makes sense with the aging risks!
In regards to your skin clearing up after smoking five cigarettes --> I think that might have been a large part luck but it could also have been the sudden release of stress that allowed your body to heal. If you relaxed after having them and slept a good night's sleep this could be a factor. I have a friend who has very hormonal acne and she flares up at the smallest sign of stress. When she smokes it calms her down and her acne stays fine!
In my opinion if smoking has any effect it is on your stress levels. There are plenty of supplements to help with stress and alternatives to nicotine (gotta work on that myself!) My skin felt great compared to it does now when I wasn't smoking.
Sorry for the long winded response! I've been very interested on this correlation for a while. Good luck!
First off I guess I have to be smart and tell you not to smoke. I am 21 and have been smoking since I was 14. I quit for 6 months this year mainly to see the effect on my skin. I ended up getting really stressed for my exams and had a couple cigarettes because I saw acne and thought "well I get it without them..." obviously I was too set on smoking to realize these were stress pimples. I've continued smoking since then and my acne as continued to get worse. I think this could be a total fluke though, I suffered with acne as a young teen and got my face completely clear with a few hormonal zits that time of the month from the age of 16 to 19. I may simply have suffered from an onset of adult acne. Anyway, my skin is a mess of small bumps and some cysts now and it drives me crazy. I've continued to smoke because it keeps me less stressed! I can't say anything for sure about the acne once I started smoking again but what I can say is that the smoking has made my skin much more sensitive and my skin takes much longer to heal. The pimples on my face take a lot longer to go away when I smoke on a regular basis and the red marks last longer. - makes sense with the aging risks!
In regards to your skin clearing up after smoking five cigarettes --> I think that might have been a large part luck but it could also have been the sudden release of stress that allowed your body to heal. If you relaxed after having them and slept a good night's sleep this could be a factor. I have a friend who has very hormonal acne and she flares up at the smallest sign of stress. When she smokes it calms her down and her acne stays fine!
In my opinion if smoking has any effect it is on your stress levels. There are plenty of supplements to help with stress and alternatives to nicotine (gotta work on that myself!) My skin felt great compared to it does now when I wasn't smoking.
Sorry for the long winded response! I've been very interested on this correlation for a while. Good luck!
Thank you for the kind response... This topic seems to hit a nerve for some people, and I've gotten a few less than friendly replies. I used to be a heavy smoker, and my acne would stay pretty constant. No better or worse depending on how many cigarettes I smoked. I've gone out on a couple different occasions and socially smoked (4-5 cigs), my faced definitely looked aggravated when I came home. I got upset, and started picking, and blah blah blah. Anyways, I woke up this morning and my face looked better. Let the record show, I did have a good nights sleep. It's just amazing how every time I go back to smoking I see some improvement on my face.
Maybe it's the relief of stress, because I am under a TON of stress at the moment. I don't know. I started worrying about my acne around the time I quit smoking, so maybe the two do have a correlation for me. I am taking vitamins (and medication) to help with my anxiety and balance my hormones, it's just the nicotine is much faster acting. :/ Oh the things I would do for clear skin... Not healthy,
I'm not going to go back to being dependent on cigarettes, but I will continue to socially smoke (because I do enjoy it). I'll try to keep track and see if this pattern continues... My own little experiment. I know, I know... It's unhealthy, but I never really planned on completely quitting anyways. I shall report back my findings!
First off I guess I have to be smart and tell you not to smoke. I am 21 and have been smoking since I was 14. I quit for 6 months this year mainly to see the effect on my skin. I ended up getting really stressed for my exams and had a couple cigarettes because I saw acne and thought "well I get it without them..." obviously I was too set on smoking to realize these were stress pimples. I've continued smoking since then and my acne as continued to get worse. I think this could be a total fluke though, I suffered with acne as a young teen and got my face completely clear with a few hormonal zits that time of the month from the age of 16 to 19. I may simply have suffered from an onset of adult acne. Anyway, my skin is a mess of small bumps and some cysts now and it drives me crazy. I've continued to smoke because it keeps me less stressed! I can't say anything for sure about the acne once I started smoking again but what I can say is that the smoking has made my skin much more sensitive and my skin takes much longer to heal. The pimples on my face take a lot longer to go away when I smoke on a regular basis and the red marks last longer. - makes sense with the aging risks!
In regards to your skin clearing up after smoking five cigarettes --> I think that might have been a large part luck but it could also have been the sudden release of stress that allowed your body to heal. If you relaxed after having them and slept a good night's sleep this could be a factor. I have a friend who has very hormonal acne and she flares up at the smallest sign of stress. When she smokes it calms her down and her acne stays fine!
In my opinion if smoking has any effect it is on your stress levels. There are plenty of supplements to help with stress and alternatives to nicotine (gotta work on that myself!) My skin felt great compared to it does now when I wasn't smoking.
Sorry for the long winded response! I've been very interested on this correlation for a while. Good luck!
Thank you for the kind response... This topic seems to hit a nerve for some people, and I've gotten a few less than friendly replies. I used to be a heavy smoker, and my acne would stay pretty constant. No better or worse depending on how many cigarettes I smoked. I've gone out on a couple different occasions and socially smoked (4-5 cigs), my faced definitely looked aggravated when I came home. I got upset, and started picking, and blah blah blah. Anyways, I woke up this morning and my face looked better. Let the record show, I did have a good nights sleep. It's just amazing how every time I go back to smoking I see some improvement on my face.
Maybe it's the relief of stress, because I am under a TON of stress at the moment. I don't know. I started worrying about my acne around the time I quit smoking, so maybe the two do have a correlation for me. I am taking vitamins (and medication) to help with my anxiety and balance my hormones, it's just the nicotine is much faster acting. :/ Oh the things I would do for clear skin... Not healthy,
I'm not going to go back to being dependent on cigarettes, but I will continue to socially smoke (because I do enjoy it). I'll try to keep track and see if this pattern continues... My own little experiment. I know, I know... It's unhealthy, but I never really planned on completely quitting anyways. I shall report back my findings!
i am sure u feel relaxed or less stressed but trust me its not doing u any good.
acne/ stress can't be relieved by smoking.
its got to do with ur nervous system and psychology.
it actually doesnt reduce stress, it makes it appear less prominent for a while by effecting a part of your hypothalamus.
u will have to get rid of it to see a long term positive effect.
like u skin,mental health and general health.
First off I guess I have to be smart and tell you not to smoke. I am 21 and have been smoking since I was 14. I quit for 6 months this year mainly to see the effect on my skin. I ended up getting really stressed for my exams and had a couple cigarettes because I saw acne and thought "well I get it without them..." obviously I was too set on smoking to realize these were stress pimples. I've continued smoking since then and my acne as continued to get worse. I think this could be a total fluke though, I suffered with acne as a young teen and got my face completely clear with a few hormonal zits that time of the month from the age of 16 to 19. I may simply have suffered from an onset of adult acne. Anyway, my skin is a mess of small bumps and some cysts now and it drives me crazy. I've continued to smoke because it keeps me less stressed! I can't say anything for sure about the acne once I started smoking again but what I can say is that the smoking has made my skin much more sensitive and my skin takes much longer to heal. The pimples on my face take a lot longer to go away when I smoke on a regular basis and the red marks last longer. - makes sense with the aging risks!
In regards to your skin clearing up after smoking five cigarettes --> I think that might have been a large part luck but it could also have been the sudden release of stress that allowed your body to heal. If you relaxed after having them and slept a good night's sleep this could be a factor. I have a friend who has very hormonal acne and she flares up at the smallest sign of stress. When she smokes it calms her down and her acne stays fine!
In my opinion if smoking has any effect it is on your stress levels. There are plenty of supplements to help with stress and alternatives to nicotine (gotta work on that myself!) My skin felt great compared to it does now when I wasn't smoking.
Sorry for the long winded response! I've been very interested on this correlation for a while. Good luck!
Thank you for the kind response... This topic seems to hit a nerve for some people, and I've gotten a few less than friendly replies. I used to be a heavy smoker, and my acne would stay pretty constant. No better or worse depending on how many cigarettes I smoked. I've gone out on a couple different occasions and socially smoked (4-5 cigs), my faced definitely looked aggravated when I came home. I got upset, and started picking, and blah blah blah. Anyways, I woke up this morning and my face looked better. Let the record show, I did have a good nights sleep. It's just amazing how every time I go back to smoking I see some improvement on my face.
Maybe it's the relief of stress, because I am under a TON of stress at the moment. I don't know. I started worrying about my acne around the time I quit smoking, so maybe the two do have a correlation for me. I am taking vitamins (and medication) to help with my anxiety and balance my hormones, it's just the nicotine is much faster acting. :/ Oh the things I would do for clear skin... Not healthy,
I'm not going to go back to being dependent on cigarettes, but I will continue to socially smoke (because I do enjoy it). I'll try to keep track and see if this pattern continues... My own little experiment. I know, I know... It's unhealthy, but I never really planned on completely quitting anyways. I shall report back my findings!
i am sure u feel relaxed or less stressed but trust me its not doing u any good.
acne/ stress can't be relieved by smoking.
its got to do with ur nervous system and psychology.
it actually doesnt reduce stress, it makes it appear less prominent for a while by effecting a part of your hypothalamus.
u will have to get rid of it to see a long term positive effect.
like u skin,mental health and general health.
I know... I'm sure a lot of this is psychological. I want to smoke and believe that by doing so i am actually causing my skin to get better.Which I'm sure it isn't the case. Honestly the habit probably doesn't effect my acne either way. It's frustrating how my brain is tricking me into seeing/thinking certain things. Definitely doesn't make my life any easier.
What an interesting thread....
I'm off for a smoke
HAHAHAHAHA oh my goodness! That was perfect lol
I'm still and on and off smoker (right now, I'm very much ON) and I've smoked since I was 11...I know.
I can quit for months and then all it takes is for me to meet up with one of my friends that smoke and I'm hooked all over again. I'd say I smoked 8-10 a day, sometimes more and I have never seen a correlation between my acne and smoking. It's the same regardless.
Obviously I do eventually want to quit as I am very conscious about my health, believe it or not. Every other aspect of my lifestyle is pretty healthy (apart from my drinking habits...who am I kidding?) but I'm addicted to nicotine. It draws me in every single time and something in my brain is convinced I want and need it.
I'm still and on and off smoker (right now, I'm very much ON) and I've smoked since I was 11...I know.
I can quit for months and then all it takes is for me to meet up with one of my friends that smoke and I'm hooked all over again. I'd say I smoked 8-10 a day, sometimes more and I have never seen a correlation between my acne and smoking. It's the same regardless.
Obviously I do eventually want to quit as I am very conscious about my health, believe it or not. Every other aspect of my lifestyle is pretty healthy (apart from my drinking habits...who am I kidding?) but I'm addicted to nicotine. It draws me in every single time and something in my brain is convinced I want and need it.
remember what i told ya lewis.
u dnt wanna die single and virgin,do u?
p.s i think am gonna do some study to scare you now.
I'm still and on and off smoker (right now, I'm very much ON) and I've smoked since I was 11...I know.
I can quit for months and then all it takes is for me to meet up with one of my friends that smoke and I'm hooked all over again. I'd say I smoked 8-10 a day, sometimes more and I have never seen a correlation between my acne and smoking. It's the same regardless.
Obviously I do eventually want to quit as I am very conscious about my health, believe it or not. Every other aspect of my lifestyle is pretty healthy (apart from my drinking habits...who am I kidding?) but I'm addicted to nicotine. It draws me in every single time and something in my brain is convinced I want and need it.
remember what i told ya lewis.
u dnt wanna die single and virgin,do u?
p.s i think am gonna do some study to scare you now.
Oh dear Lord... what did I start with this thread? lol
Lewis, I know how hard it is to quit! I've "quit" at least 10,000 times since I began smoking... And i always believed the cigarette I was smoking at the time. was the last one I would ever smoke. And then... well.... I bought a new pack. I hate that all my friends smoke because it always triggers the addict in me. I can go days and days, even weeks if necessary, and then my friends offer me a cig. It's all over at that point. -.-