Kate Moss & smoking: Experts share how cigarettes can ruin your looks

nypost.com:

photos of the supermodel smoking outside a posh London restaurant. The snaps published Wednesday show Moss looking less-than-glamorous, and as one commenter put it: “Cancer sticks will age you like that.”Indeed, smoking is known to cause visible damage to skin, teeth and hair, as well as internal organs and virtually every other part of the human body.“Overall, you get a lot of chemicals from smoking,” Dr.

Raman Madan, director of cosmetic dermatology at Northwell Health on Long Island, told The Post.“It really has a big effect on the skin and can cause premature aging,” Madan added.Smoking decreases collagen production, Madan explained, and often results in loose, sagging and discolored skin.

That loosening effect on skin can be seen on arms, legs and throughout the body, including the breasts: In smokers, “skin gets pulled down, so [smoking] can cause sagging breasts as well,” Madan said.Smoking also affects hair because of vasoconstriction, the narrowing of blood vessels that reduces blood flow.

With reduced blood flow to hair follicles, it shortens their lifespan, which can lead to hair loss.These visible impacts are also seen in the mouth: Smoking causes yellowing of the teeth, gum disease and a buildup of dental plaque.The eyes, too, can suffer from macular degeneration, dry eye, cataracts and other ocular conditions caused or worsened by smoking.Hands and fingers also bear the brunt of smoking, and not just from holding a burning cigarette: A person can get “nail clubbing that changes the shape of the nail bed,” Madan said, and “people’s fingers can turn blue or red” due to vasoconstriction and low blood supply.People with autoimmune conditions face additional challenges from smoking.