Health
By comparing photographs of identical twins, scientists have clearly shown how smoking leads to premature aging of the face, contributing to wrinkles, sagging skin, double chin and bags under the eyes.
Researchers at Case Western Reserve University in the United States selected 79 twin pairs between 2007 and 2010 during the Twin Days Festival in Twinsburg, Ohio. In some twin pairs, only one was a smoker. If both twins smoked, one of them smoked for 5 years longer than his brother or sister to participate in the study. Participants ranged from 18 to 78 years of age, with an average of 48 years.
To rule out factors that contribute to premature aging, such as exposure to ultraviolet solar radiation, weight gain, and alcohol consumption, the researchers asked participants about their habits and assessed their stress levels at work. They found that the differences were not statistically significant.
The consequences of smoking
A team of three plastic surgeons, who were unaware of the twins' smoking habits, identified the changes that occurred to the face by looking at professional photos of the participants' faces.
The twin on the left smoked 17 years longer than the one on the right. Differences such as bags under the lower eyelids and more pronounced wrinkles above the upper and lower lips are visible.
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They found that smokers than non-smokers had sagger skin and bags under their upper eyelids, more wrinkles along the smile line, a sagging double chin, and wrinkles above the upper and lower lip.
Both twins were smoking. The twin on the left smoked 14 years longer than his brother.
Among the twins where both smoked, the one who smoked longer had more pronounced bags under the lower eyelids, wrinkles under the lower lip, and sagging cheeks.
The twin on the right is a smoker and the one on the left doesn't. There is a noticeable difference in nasolabial folds.
According to the study, most of the changes occurred in the lower third of the face.
Laboratory studies have shown that cells exposed to tobacco extract have lost elasticity and collagen, which explains changes in this part of the face.
The twin on the left is a non-smoker and on the right has been smoking for 29 years. There is a noticeable difference in the aging of the skin around the eyes.
In addition, non-smokers had thicker skin than smokers, making wrinkles and nasolabial folds less visible. Nasolabial folds refer to wrinkles that run from both sides of the nose to the mouth.
The harm of smoking
Cigarettes contain more than 4,000 chemical compounds and at least 400 toxic substances.
When you inhale, the cigarette burns at 700 degrees Celsius and about 60 degrees in the core. This heat causes tobacco to release toxic substances. The most harmful among them are:
Resin is a carcinogen
Nicotine — addictive and increases cholesterol
Carbon monoxide — reduces the amount of oxygen in the body
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