How Long After Quitting Smoking Does Skin Improve?
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According to studies, quitting smoking improves your skin in many ways. The reason is that once you quit smoking, your skin will once more renew the production of collagen and elastin.
Thus, improving how your skin looks. Quitting smoking also improves blood and nutrient flow, making your skin glow compared to the time when you still smoke.
How long after quitting smoking does skin improve? According to a 2012 study published in the Korean Journal of Family Medicine, it takes about one month for the skin to improve after quitting smoking. [1] This study focused on changes in skin color, but it described overall improvements in the skin as well.
Some people may not see an improvement for three or more months after quitting smoking. The length of time it takes depends on your age and how well you take care of your skin and body.
Read on to learn more about how long it takes for the skin to improve after quitting smoking as well as how to speed up the time it takes to improve your skin.
How Long After Quitting Smoking Does Skin Improve?
Of course, there’s no magic or medicine to make your skin improve overnight after you quit smoking. At most, it’ll take your skin at least 1 to 3 months to help repair itself.
Age also matters when it comes to skin improvement after smoking cessation. Your skin will have better chances of improving if you quit smoking at a younger age, and the percentage decreases the more you age.
Will I look younger once I quit smoking? The good news is yes. You will look younger once you quit smoking since smoking ages your body prematurely.
After just three days of quitting smoking, your body depletes itself of nicotine. Decreased levels of nicotine in your system improve lung function, which you will notice even more after two weeks to 1 month of quitting.
Without a shadow of a doubt, quitting smoking is your best bet to improve your skin. But how do you help your skin improve faster after you quit smoking? Read on the next section to find out.
How to Make Skin Improve Faster After Smoking
Everyone’s skin is different, so it is important to find the skincare routine that works best for you. Below are some tips for making your skin improve faster after quitting smoking.
1. Use Face Creams
Since your skin has been prematurely aging when you were smoking, it’s best to combat skin damage by using creams that include antioxidants like vitamins C and E or both. Vitamin C boosts collagen production, while Vitamin E promotes skin healing from deep within.
You can also look for creams with retinoids, which combat skin aging. It’s also best to wear sunscreen before you go out to prevent added skin damage from the sun.
Olay Bright & Even Vitamin C with Lactic Acid Face Moisturizer is a milky, ultra-concentrated facial serum designed to address hyperpigmentation, dark spots, fine lines, and uneven texture.
With a 12% lactic acid formula, this serum combines gentle exfoliants, including lactic acid (AHA) and gluconolactone (PHA), along with brightening licorice root to promote a smoother and healthier-looking complexion.
The powerful exfoliating ingredients work to polish away dead skin cells and excess sebum, reducing the risk of skin congestion, dullness, texture issues, blackheads, and acne.
This clean formula is made in the USA, cruelty-free, and provides an effective solution for those seeking brighter and more even skin. For individuals with sensitive skin, a 15-minute mask application is recommended rather than a leave-on treatment.
2. Opt for a Skin Treatment
If you think that your wrinkles are way beyond your years and you can’t wait too long to improve your skin, you can opt for a skin treatment to give you quick results. You may try chemical peels or even laser skin resurfacing. However, you can also consult a dermatologist for other skin treatments you can try.
3. Don’t Forget to Moisturize
Since your skin has been suffering from a lack of oxygen, your face and body may look dull, lacking that certain glow. Aside from putting moisturizer on your face, also make sure to use a moisturizing lotion on other parts of your body.
Shea butter, jojoba oil, and coconut oil are a few natural moisturizing ingredients you should look for when shopping for lotion.
There are many good skincare products out there. However, it can be hard to find one that will suit your skin type.
As a lightweight moisturizer, the Vitamin E Face Moisturizer of Malin + Goetz gets absorbed into the skin quickly. It contains just enough balance of vitamin E to help your skin heal from within.
It has chamomile to soothe and nourish your skin as well. It also contains vitamin B5, also known as niacinamide, to give your face that instant fresh and youthful glow.
To use this moisturizer, wash and clean your face first. Apply in pea-size on your forehead, cheeks, and chin. Apply the moisturizer evenly on your face by using your fingers in a circular motion.
What’s even better about the Malin + Goetz moisturizer is that you can use it as an instant makeup base for that added glam look without looking dry.
4. Take Vitamin C
Aside from using topical creams and skin products with vitamin C, you can also take vitamin C supplements to help increase your body’s collagen production.
Collagen helps restore your skin’s natural elasticity. Since vitamin C is important in collagen production, taking vitamin C supplements would help your skin a lot if you’re not a fan of citrus fruits.
5. Start a Gentle Exercise Routine
Start a gentle exercise regimen, which you can do for at least 15 minutes a day. You can help improve oxygen levels in your body through jogging, running, biking, or yoga.
6. Exfoliate at Least Twice a Week
Not only does exfoliating keeps your skin look glowing and fresh, but it also helps your skin produce more collagen for better skin elasticity and a youthful look.
The Orogold 3 Pack White Gold 24K Multi-Vitamin Deep Peeling Facial Exfoliator is a luxurious skincare set designed to enhance the complexion and address various skin concerns.
Infused with gold particles and green tea extracts, the multi-vitamin deep peeling facial exfoliator aims to reduce discoloration and gently exfoliate the skin, leaving a radiant and healthy complexion.
The set includes the following products:
Multi-Vitamin Deep Peeling Facial Exfoliator: This product is formulated with gold particles and green tea extracts to provide a gentle exfoliation that reduces discoloration and promotes a healthy complexion.
Intensive Eye Serum: Infused with Palmitoyl Oligopeptide and Vitamin C, this potent under-eye serum targets issues such as puffiness, dull spots, and sagging skin around the eyes.
Vitamin C Facial Booster Serum: Formulated with Vitamin C, Retinyl Palmitate, and organic nutrients, this revitalizing facial serum stimulates collagen and elastin production, creating a plumping effect for more youthful-looking skin.
Together, this skincare trio aims to nourish, even out skin tone, brighten, and firm the skin, providing a comprehensive approach to skincare for a noticeably younger appearance.
Take note that choosing the right product for your skin type may not be as easy as you think. There are times that you have to test a lot of products so you won’t have breakouts or allergic reactions.
To be safe, do a spot test first on your skin and make sure to give each product a trial time of at least two weeks to see visible results.
Quitting smoking may be hard at first, but after a while and even for just a few days, you’d experience positive changes not only in your skin but to your overall health. Here’s what you can expect once you quit smoking, and it’s more than just having great and youthful skin.
How Smoking Affects Your Skin
There are many reasons why you look much older, especially when you smoke. Quitting smoking helps improve your skin a lot. Not only does smoking change how your skin looks, but sometimes, your hair and teeth can take a beating, too. Here’s what cigarette smoking can do to your skin:
1. Wrinkles and Loose Skin
Smoking advances the appearance of loose skin or wrinkles, especially under your eyes and around the lips, since it triggers the destruction of elastin and collagen.
These two proteins are responsible for the skin’s natural elasticity. It is also the reason why women who smoke have thinner inner arms or sagging breasts.
2. Uneven Skin Tone
Smoking results in dull or uneven skin tone due to the lack of oxygen and nutrients to the skin.
3. Premature Skin Aging
Smoking makes your skin show age spots on your hands and face. It is the same condition that develops when you stay in the sun for long periods, minus the sun.
4. Skin Discoloration
Smoking gives the skin on your fingers a permanent stain. The good news? These stains slowly fade away once you quit smoking.
5. Skin Disease
Smoking heightens your risk of having skin diseases such as psoriasis and eczema.
Improvements You Will See After Quitting Smoking
By 20 minutes of quitting smoking, your body begins to repair itself, and your blood pressure is almost at normal levels.
By two hours of quitting smoking, the blood circulation in your hands, arms, legs, and feet get better, so you feel warmer than usual.
By 12 hours of quitting smoking, your body’s oxygen production is almost normalized due to the reduction of carbon monoxide levels in the blood.
By 24 hours or after a day of quitting smoking, you reduce your risk of suffering from a heart attack or other cardiovascular problems like blood clots related to smoking.
By three days of quitting smoking, you have eliminated nicotine in your body.
By two weeks of quitting smoking, you’d find your breathing has gotten back to normal thanks to an improved lung function and blood circulation. By this time, you’re already healthier because your body has had enough time to help repair itself.
By nine weeks or a little more than two months of quitting smoking, you’ll be a lot more active without feeling any shortness of breath. Withdrawal symptoms are also less pronounced during this time.
By nine months of quitting smoking, your lungs have ample time to repair itself, so it goes back to its normal functions to help you breathe without any shortness of breath or coughing involved.
By one year of quitting smoking, you’d have successfully reduced your risk of getting a heart attack by 10 percent. One in five cases of death caused by heart disease is due to smoking.
By 2 to 5 years of quitting smoking, you reduce the risk of having many forms of cancer by half, including cancer of the mouth, esophagus, throat, bladder, and cervix.
By five years of quitting smoking, you’d have the same risk level of having a stroke to that of non-smokers.
By 10 years of quitting smoking, your risk of getting cancer or dying from it is reduced to half compared to someone who still smokes.
By 15 years of quitting smoking, it’s like you’ve never smoked at all, and the only reason you’ll get heart disease is when you worry too much or don’t care much about a healthy diet.
By 20 years of quitting smoking, you’d have saved more than $71,000, and that could mean more depending on the rate of inflation. Now that sounds like a good investment, right?
Conclusion – How Long After Quitting Smoking Does Skin Improve?
As you can see, quitting smoking is not only beneficial to your skin. It will also help improve your health and life a lot more in the future. Yes, it’s not easy to just quit smoking all of a sudden. You’d need the help and support of your friends and family to do it successfully.
To recap our initial question, how long after quitting smoking does skin improve? It generally takes about 1 to 3 months after quitting smoking to see improvements in your skin.
Some people may not see an improvement for three or more months after quitting smoking. The length of time it takes depends on your age and how well you take care of your skin and body.
If you have recently quit smoking, I wholeheartedly congratulate you on that milestone! Be patient if you don’t see much improvement within a month, as the skin can sometimes take longer to heal after quitting smoking.
Now, if you take care of your body with proper sleep, diet, and exercise, as well as follow the skincare tips listed earlier, you will quickly start to see some improvements.
