Smoking can cause acne!

According to a study in the British Journal of Dermatology there is.

The San Gallicano Dermatological Institute in Rome did a study on 1,000 women and 40% of these women had developed non-inflammatory acne.

According to Dr Bruno Capitanio, one of the study's authors, "Our study demonstrates that NIA affects a high percentage of women, and is especially high among smokers.” "Recognizing this form of acne is fundamental to providing correct information about the effects of tobacco on the skin."

This is not the first time a study of the effects of smoking and acne has occurred. In July of 2001 the British Journal of Dermatology published a study from the Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Technical University of Munich, Germany.

In this study they found that the incidence of acne was higher in smokers at 40.8% compared with only 25.2% of non-smokers. The Department of Dermatology and Allergy concluded that smoking is a clinically important contributory factor to acne prevalence and severity.


What is non-inflammatory acne?

This type of acne is characterized by closed and open comedones which are commonly known to us as whiteheads and blackheads.

If you read the forum posts at all, you will have seen that I’ve made this correlation between smoking and acne, however could not find the science to prove it.

It makes sense; we already know that the effects of smoking include the premature aging of skin, why would it surprise us that it could also possibly cause acne.


What exactly does smoking do?

It robs our skin of oxygen. Our skin needs this oxygen in order to build healthy cells. Smoking also robs our skin of vital nutrients. We’ve learned from Science of Skin that nutrients are needed in order for our dermis layer to generate collagen which is necessary in order to keep our skin supple.

If you read the article on Whiteheads, you’ll see that they are caused by oil, bacteria and dead skin cells. Whiteheads begin underneath the skin, which means if that you are polluting yourself with the toxic substances contained in cigarettes then you are preventing your skin from looking its best.

What can you do?

The obvious answer is to quit smoking. It is a very difficult thing to do I've tried myself several times. If quitting is difficult at least try to reduce the amount of cigarettes you are smoking.

Quitnet is a free online resource to help you if you decide to quit.