Smoker Face - Don't Let Cigarettes Steal Your Looks

Smoker Face is a term used for those smokers amongst us that bear the physical damage to their faces caused by cigarette smoking.

It is an easy determination to make if someone say in their 50s has been a smoker or not. The truth lies in their well etched and smoke ravaged faces. The skin is usually a tint of gray, lacks elasticity and cries out for moisture. This is what we call Smoker Face.

In 1985 a study of patients was carried out by Doctor Douglas Model, who was able to detect half of the smokers by their facial attributes. Almost 50% of the smokers had evidence of premature aging. Exposure to sunlight were ruled out in this study. Smoking damages cells and tissues in all kinds of way and can have adverse effects on many other parts of the body.

Wrinkling of the skin:
Smoking causes the elastic fibres of the skin to breakdown and thicken. Circulation is reduced thus depleting oxygen supply to the tissue. The main structure of the skin, the building block Collagen is reduced due to Smoking. This in turn will reduce the water content of the skin causing wrinkles.

Skin Cancers:
There are two kinds of skin cancers which can be related to cigarette smoking. There are the squamous cell carcinomas which can be quite curable and the more aggressive melanomas that are often fatal. There is no sure evidence that smoking causes Melanomas but studies show that smokers with a Melanoma are more likely to die from the condition. These cancers can spread rapidly in smokers, probably because of their subdued immune system. Other Cancers such as cancers of the mouth, lip, vulva, penis and anus are more common in smokers.



Psoriasis and related disease:
Smokers are two or three times more likely to develop this debilitating condition than Non smokers.

Smokers can also be more likely to develop Crohn's Disease which can cause ulceration of the skin most often on the lower legs. Systemic lupus Erythematosus is another condition also more common in smokers. The symptoms include a rash on the face, scalp and hands and ulcerations in the mouth. Hair loss can be another result of this disorder.

With all these conditions and diseases more common in the Smoker than the Non Smoker, it is a wonder why so many people smoke cigarettes. Smokers Face is just as much a condition as any of the aforementioned. It is more a physical attribute of premature aging that can be dealt with. Giving up smoking will see to this. Remember that the body is very resilient and can self repair to a certain extent. Its not too late to quit cigarettes and reverse or slow down the horrible effects that may lay in wait for you later on in your life or maybe sooner than you think.

Smoker Face - Don't Let Cigarettes Steal Your Looks

Is Smoking A LifeStyle

I was looking for articles on the web this morning concerning Quitting Smoking and I came across this guy Tim Frymyer. He is a licensed respiratory therapist who is dedicated to keeping the public up-to-date on the very latest stop smoking information. He is an authority in his field and I think this well informed article deserves a read.

I remember growing up watching television and thinking how cool the actors were who smoked. From Dean to Dean Martin, I thought the coolness they endeared was personified by the cigarette hanging out of their mouth. I can still picture the poster of James Dean leaning against the hot rod, smoking his cigarette.

A lot of that still goes on today, I imagine. The youth see prominent role models drinking alcohol or smoking a cigarette and think the same things I thought when I was their age. They begin to experiment with these items, casually at first, then with purpose second. I suppose they begin to believe that they too are now becoming like their heroes. They are living out what they see and enjoying it immensely.


The lifestyle of someone who is young, living on the edge and rebelling against what they know is not in their best interest. But hey, they're young. They have their whole life ahead of them. So if you ask them about their lifestyle as a young adult, they'll likely respond with an affirmation, "life is good". Now lets speed up the clock a little bit and see what their lifestyle looks like in 40 years. Now they are in their sixties and have smoked for 30 or 40 years.

A new study examined the effects of middle aged smoking on long term risk of impaired activities of daily living (ADL). Lets first define ADL - these are things we do everyday, like bathing, brushing our teeth, urinating/having a bowel movement in the toilet, combing your hair, etc. Most of us think we'll be doing that without any problems well into 80's. Then we hope to have a cute, young nurse change our Depends. The study looked at 2,200 people in 1980, then again in 1999. They found that smokers had a much higher risk for impairment of ADLs. This means it was harder for them to do the simple things of just existing. The odds ratio (risk) was even higher for those who smoked greater than 20 cigarettes per day.

That's the problem with smoking. When you're young and invincible, smoking only creates silent changes in your body. But the repeated affect of smoking every day for years on end, transform these previously unknown physiological changes into a stark ubiquitous reality. Breathing becomes labored, chest pains are present, infections simply come in waves, and you get on a first name basis with your emergency room charge nurse. Sure, some people are physiologically wired to be less affected by smoking, but as a general rule of statistics and experience, smoking does not improve your lifestyle as you age.


Imagine for a moment that you are 62 years old. You wake up at 4:00 am to take a breathing treatment. You go back to bed where you can only sleep with 2-3 pillows stacked up, otherwise you can't breathe. You turn up the oxygen concentrator located by your bed because you're a little more short of breath than usual. Eventually you doze off, only to awaken 3 hours later feeling very anxious.

You use your inhaler which you keep in your bedside drawer. You reach over to your walker and move toward the bathroom. Half way there, you sit back down to catch your breath. A few minutes later, you get back up and use the facilities. You return to your bed where you take another puff from your inhaler. You decide that you'll just keep your pajamas on because you don't feel like getting dressed today. Now you go into the kitchen to get your coffee. When you arrive ten minutes later, you pour a cup and start to feel a little bit better. You call your spouse over and ask them to get your nebulizer and meds from the kitchen counter.

It's too difficult to go back to the bathroom to brush your teeth and shower, so you move over to the easy chair and sit down. You ask your spouse to move the oxygen tubing so it doesn't get caught under the easy chair when you recline. Next, you read the newspaper, comb your hair and think about what you'll do today. After talking it over, you call your grandkids up (if they're in town) and ask them to come over for a visit. It is simply too hard for you to make it over to their place. Plus, they haven't made the front door wheelchair accessible yet. But they did get an oxygen tank delivered to their house, so they'll be ready for you when the ramp gets built.

Now, it's time for another breathing treatment, except you need a new box of facial tissue, because you used up the last box in the morning. The decision is made to get a second tissue box to save time tomorrow, when you'll be finished with this one. The rest of your day is spent reading, watching t.v., doing crossword puzzles or whatever other activity you've decided to "enjoy" during your retirement.
Lets skip to nighttime. Since you've still got your pajamas on, all you have to do is brush your teeth, take your pills and inhale on your last breathing treatment. Finally, you collapse in bed after a stressful and physically challenging day. While you lay their on your 3 pillows trying to get comfortable, you think about how you idolized James Dean. It's then you wish you could go back to that 24 year old kid and tell him that smoking was not worth it.

We all know smoking affects everyone differently. Above we described a person with COPD and what their day typically looks like. Don't have any misconceptions, that is a typical day for someone with moderate to severe COPD. If I told you that you could avoid this kind of risk by laying down your cigarettes, would you? You could brush your teeth, sleep better, have more freedoms, travel more, etc. How much is that worth to you?

I hope you read the whole article as it gives great insight into the problems relating to Cigarette Smoking.

By Tim Frymyer

Is Smoking A LifeStyle

Diary of A Dead Smoker - entry 1

25 June 1975 - 12.01am

Leaving them all behind.
This is the weirdest and most surreal experience I have ever had. My physical pain has ended, I feel empty. A great sense of sadness and loss has replaced my physical agony. Commotion and urgency have left the room and a reluctant despair has entered.  Someone in the room has just announced "time of death, 12.01am". This is so strange!



Annie, my wife and Jessica, my little girl  are crying uncontrollably. I can hear Annie saying
"Why, David, why did you leave us?"
 Jessica is calling out, "Daddy, Daddy don't leave me, I'm scared, I'm really scared"
I want to put my arms around her and comfort her, but I can't. My body wont react, it won't listen to me.

A Nurse comes into the room and whispers, "he's in a better place now, his pain is gone, its all over".
The nurse leaves the room. Annie, who is 8 months pregnant with our second child wipes the sweat from my brow with her hand. She puts her hand in mine, it feels so warm, I feel disjointed from this place. Jessica comes to me and kisses my cheek.

"I will always love you Daddy" she says. Her kiss fills my soul with love and regret. 
 Annie says "I will never forget the time we had, we should have had more, a lot more".

They make their way to the door. They both glance back and say "Goodnight".
The door closes behind them. Its so cold here, its isolated, I'm alone.

I have died, just minutes ago.  I knew I would and so did they. Look what I have done, the despair I have left behind. Its because I smoked, isn't it. Cigarettes killed me in the end. I am 39 years of age, I had a whole lifetime ahead of me. I have a wife, a little girl who is 6 and a baby on the way. How could I leave them like this.

I still feel the kiss that Jessica gave me, its still warm, it left her energy. I feel drained and empty. I have lost everything. I have my memories, but what of the future, my wife, my children. How will I know they are ok.

My family are in so much pain, I feel it, I want to make it all ok for them but its too late. I had my chance and I blew it up in smoke.

Diary of A Dead Smoker - entry 1

Can Smoking Effect My EyeSight?

smoking can cause macular degeneration

When a smoker lights up a cigarette and inhales, it releases up to 4000 chemicals into the blood system which supplies the entire body with essential nutrients and oxygen. This in turn can cause damage to the eye.

Smoking can also cause the thinning of the fragile membrane that covers the eye, (conjunctiva) resulting in eye irritation and blood spot. Age-related macular degeneration and other known diseases have also been associated with smoking. How one Develops macular degeneration is still uncertain and the causes not fully known , but cigarette smoking is believed to be a major contributor to the condition. Smoking can cause the rise of intraocular pressure which in turn can lead to glaucoma and  optic nerve damage.


Eventhough smoking is associated with some eye diseases and conditions, including nuclear cataract and thyroid eye disease. One of the most common causes of blindness relating to cigarette smoking is age related macular degeneration. This degenerative disease results in the irretrievable loss of central vision.

What does smoking do to my eyes?

When you inhale the cigarette smoke, the chemicals are released into the blood system, they travel throughout your body supplying all your organs. The for mentioned chemicals can cause damage to the macula. Tiny blood vessels can burst through the Macula (located near the center of the retina), leading to catastrophic damage which can cause the cells of the macula to die. These conditions can lead to total loss of vision.

This damage is permanent and irreversible. High tech laser treatment is not an option to treat the condition because the Macula is such a sensitive part of the Retina.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) in a new treatment which can reduce the damage of loss of vision, but people suffering with macular degeneration will not benefit from this form of treatment.

If you refrain from smoking altogether your chances and risk of getting this disease are considerably diminished. The Human eye is a fragile and very sensitive organ and when damage occurs from smoking related conditions, it is usually irreversible.

Can Smoking Effect My EyeSight?

How To Beat Nicotine Withdrawal Symptoms Forever

If you have decided to quit smoking, there are many challenges and struggles that may stand in your way. Your resolved will be tested and tried. You may ask yourself if giving up smoking is such a positive thing, why do I feel so rotten, These feelings are completely normal, you may be realizing how effected your system had become because of the Nicotine Addiction. 

In many cases a smoker doesn't understand the damage caused to the body associated with cigarette smoking. There are in fact many medical problems caused by smoking that the smoker won't realize.  The Smoker usually understands the health implications on the Lungs but not much more. Few Smokers understand the psychological and emotional crutch that smoking will afflict you with due to the nicotine dependency.

Cigarettes are usually smoked in times of nervousness,  stress or the smoker feels the need to relax. Many smokers over time are unable to cope with any situation without relying on Nicotine. Like most other drug withdrawal, the body has to learn to adjust to changes without Nicotine.

There are many changes associated with Nicotine Withdrawal on the body. The symptoms will vary for every Cigarette Quitter. The length of time smoking and the daily quantity intake are a major factor into the symptoms an ex Smoker may suffer,

Some of the most Common Symptoms are as follows

Mood swings and irritability
Headaches
No motivation, feeling tired
Possible Weight gain
Coughing and sometimes a sore throat
Strong ravings
Insomnia
Feeling like something is missing

These are some of the common withdrawal symptoms, and there can be more.How do you eradicate these symptoms for good.  Don't let down your guard and stay focused because in most cases these symptoms only last for two to three weeks. The withdrawal symptoms test your resolve, but don't  show a weakness in certain situations and reach for a cigarette.



YOU CAN QUIT, you owe it to yourself. You don't need to quit using the Cold Turkey method as there are a multitude of quit smoking and cessation aids out there that really can help.

Go for plenty of walks and breathe all that free fresh air, be patient. Your body needs time to get rid of those poisonous toxins that have built up over time. The benefits of being a non-smoker become apparent almost immediately after you quit making you wonder why you ever started in thy first place. One of the greatest benefits of them all is you will get to spend more healthy years with your family and friends.

How To Beat Nicotine Withdrawal Symptoms Forever

What Damaging Effect Does Smoking Have On My Skin.

Smoking Causes Premature Skin Aging

The Truth about smoking is that it does seriously contribute to long term skin damage. Premature aging, loss of elasticity and drying out of the skin are some of the damaging effects caused by smoking.

Skin is supported from ones own inner body, from which it receives vital vitamins, nutrients and life essential oxygen. The food we consume are (to simply the process) broken down into two very different components. These components are nutrients and waste. These nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream, which in turn delivers them to the various major and minor organs throughout the body. The largest organ is the skin.

Oxygen is transported via the blood system and delivered to the organs in the same way. Every cell in our bodies absorbs the oxygen and is essential to the health maintanence of our organs and life itself. This is an automatic and natural occurance which takes place when when we breathe. . .

But when we breathe in cigarette smoke, the dangers or hazards of smoking can dangerously effect or inhibit the bodies functions!

The carbon monoxide from that is created by the cigarette when we inhale, is absorbed into the body by the hemoglobin in the blood. Carbon monoxide is a colorless odorless and highly toxic gas also found as a bi product of car exhausts. The blood stream absorbs the carbon monoxide a lot faster than it can absorb oxygen, 200 times faster to be precise.

The effects of this harmful smoking and too much carbon monoxide absorbsion into the blood leaves less room for the much needed oxygen. The oxygen levels become depleted and organs including the skin are in time slowly poisoned by the dangerous levels of carbon monoxide.

If you think that carbon monoxide is the only thing that comes with the risks of smoking, you'd be wrong. Cigarette smoke contains hundreds of harmful chemicals that will have serious effects on body. This cocktail of chemicals include,  Ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, butane, nicotine, carbolic acid, collidine, formic aldehyde, lutidine, parvoline, prussic acid, pyridine, arsenic and cadmium. This is just a fraction of the harmful chemicals in cigarette smoke. I think you get the picture.


The effects of smoking on the skin is catastrophic. When the liver receives these harmful chemicals, it has to work to the max to rid these poisonous agents from the body. The normal functions of the liver are compromised.  The natural healthy glow of the skin is replaced by a grayish-yellow hue in the smokers complexion. The skin will deteriorate rapidly with constant levels of cigarette smoke.

The smoking public need to be educated on the effects other than the obvious heart and lung diseases. If we highlight the bad effects smoking has on physical appearance, in these days of 'Image is everything' we may get somewhere and get smokers quitting nicotine sometime soon.

Cigarette smoking causes premature aging in two ways. It depletes levels of vitamin C in the body, studies show, by at least 5mg for each standard sized cigarette. Vitamin C cannot be produced by the body. A major function of Vitamin C is the preservation of the skin's collagen, the substance that keeps the skin plump and gives that youthful appearance. When he collagen breaks down, the result is premature wrinkles in the skin.

Every time we purse our lips to take a drag off that harmful and toxic cigarette the wrinkles around our mouth become more pronounced.

Stop poisoning yourself, read the facts on cigarette smoking and understand the health risks, Quit smoking now and treat yourself to a facial or a new skin product instead.

Let your skin breathe again!

What Damaging Effect Does Smoking Have On My Skin.