Kate Moss in a SKIMS/SKIMS commercial
Fans of Kate Moss, 49, were horrified by the condition of her skin because recent photos showed the supermodel smoking outside an upscale London restaurant. Following the publication, experts mentioned what you should already know - cigarette smoking not only harms your health - but also your appearance.
The photos released Wednesday show Moss looking less glamorous than usual, or as one commenter put it: "These 'crab sticks' will make you age in an instant." Indeed, smoking is known to cause visible damage to the skin, teeth and hair, as well as internal organs and virtually every other part of the human body. "You consume a lot of chemicals from smoking," Dr. Raman Madden, director of cosmetic dermatology at Northwell Health on Long Island, told the Post. "It has a big impact on the skin and it can cause premature aging," Madden added.
Smoking decreases collagen production, Dr. Madden explained and often results in loose, sagging and colorless skin. The effect of smoking can be seen on the skin on the hands, legs and throughout the body, including the chest: "In smokers, the skin is pulled down – so smoking can also cause sagging breasts," Madden said. Smoking also causes black bags under the eyes, yellowing skin and delays healing of skin wounds.
The images that caused a stir:
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Smoking also affects the hair because of the constriction of blood vessels and narrowing of blood vessels that reduces blood flow. With reduced blood flow to your hair follicles, smoking shortens your lifespan, which can lead to hair loss.
The visible effects are also visible in the mouth: smoking causes yellowing of the teeth, gum disease and plaque accumulation in the teeth. The eyes can also suffer from macular degeneration, dryness, cataracts, and other eye diseases caused or aggravated by smoking.
Here's how she looks with makeup:
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The hands and fingers also bear the burden of smoking - and not just from holding a burning cigarette: a person can suffer from dehydration - swelling of the soft tissue at the fingertips and nails. "Implantation changes the shape of the nail bed," Madden said, "and people's fingers can turn blue or red because of constriction of blood vessels and low blood supply."
People with autoimmune conditions face additional challenges from smoking. Cigarettes are typical triggers for a flare-up of psoriasis, lupus and other diseases that affect the skin. For people hoping to fix the visible problems with cosmetic procedures like microdermabrasia, there's another bad news: "For patients who need a procedure, smoking will delay your wound healing. Smoking hinders wound healing," Medan concluded.
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