Does Smoking Cause Acne?

Many people believe that acne is often caused by stress or hormones. However, do you believe that acne can actually be caused by smoking?

Many studies have already found the health risks associated with smoking cigarettes. Most research has concluded that cigarette smoking can indeed cause lung cancer and other types of cancer. It has also been linked to developing heart disease, stroke, asthma, and diabetes.

Your skin, unfortunately, might also be affected by smoking in different ways. NativeSmokes4Less is here to give you key facts about the relationship between smoking cigarettes and acne development.

Does Nicotine Cause Acne?

Before we delve into the topic of cigarette smoking and acne, let’s first define the latter. 

Acne, or acne vulgaris, is a chronic skin condition that arises when dead skin cells and oil accumulate in hair follicles, which leads to clogging. Common characteristics of acne include whiteheads, blackheads, pimples, oily skin, and the potential for acne scarring.

This skin condition can be annoying and troublesome. Despite the availability of effective acne treatments, persistent acne can be difficult to manage. Some pimples and bumps tend to heal slowly. And once they begin to clear up, others may suddenly appear. Severe acne may even show up, which is more challenging to treat and overcome.

As time passes, those with this particular skin condition would feel stressed and anxious since it can physically affect their look. Some may even feel ashamed of going out in public spaces.

While acne is often prevalent among teenagers, it can still affect individuals of all ages.

Now, acne may develop when your skin is exposed to nicotine.

When your skin absorbs nicotine from cigarette smoke, it causes adverse effects like premature skin aging, delayed wound healing, and increased skin infections. It may even lead to skin diseases such as psoriasis, eczema, skin cancer, and acne.

Once nicotine enters your body, it gets absorbed into your skin, intestinal mucosa, and respiratory tract. Now, this highly addictive chemical promotes cell death in keratinocytes, which are cells intended to form the skin barrier and contribute to vital immune functions. Once keratinocytes are taken down, your blood vessels in the skin become damaged, reducing blood flow. 

Nicotine not only affects the function and structure of your skin fibroblasts, which are skin cells that contain collagen proteins, but also impairs their ability to heal wounds, maintain skin firmness, and keep it tight. Consequently, nicotine weakens the body’s adaptive and innate immune responses.

All these things contribute to the development of acne.

Can Smoking Cause Hormonal Acne?

There are numerous things that can trigger or worsen acne. They include the following:

• Hormonal changes: Changes in hormones, particularly in boys and girls during puberty, often push the sebaceous glands to enlarge and produce more sebum, triggering acne development. Hormone changes during midlife, especially in women, can likewise trigger acne breakouts.
• Certain medications: Drugs that contain corticosteroids, testosterone, or lithium can likewise lead to acne development.
• Diet: Some studies have indicated that consuming certain foods like carbohydrate-rich foods (such as bread, bagels and chips) may worsen acne.
• Stress: While stress doesn’t necessarily cause acne, it can make your existing acne worse.

And as mentioned earlier, nicotine can cause the development of acne. So, it’s safe to assume that smoking cigarettes can trigger acne vulgaris. But not all types of acne may develop similarly. 

So, how about hormonal acne? Does it develop due to smoking cigarettes?

Hormonal acne is a type of skin condition wherein the production of sebum overloads until it clogs the pores. Sebum is an oily substance that’s often secreted by skin glands. Once the sebum secretion becomes too much, it results in various breakouts like blackheads, whiteheads, and cysts. 

Most cases of hormonal acne occur in women, pregnant women, and women going through menopause. Breakouts from this type of acne may appear on the face, neck, back, shoulders, and chest.

This type of acne is often unavoidable but can be controlled by carrying out a daily skin routine, taking birth control pills or oral contraceptives, and changing diet. Making lifestyle changes can also help in reducing your risk of getting the worst case of breakouts from hormonal acne.

As of now, cigarette smoking doesn’t directly affect the development of hormonal acne. However, it would be best for smokers who face acne issues to start managing their cigarette smoking habits. This way, they can help their skin be free from the negative effects of nicotine produced by cigarette smoke.

As of now, cigarette smoking doesn’t directly cause hormonal acne. However, it’s advisable for smokers with acne to quit smoking as soon as possible. This way, they can reduce the associated negative effects of nicotine in cigarette smoke on their skin.

If you still want to consume nicotine without relying on cigarettes, you can try nicotine pouches instead. You can visit NativeSmokes4Less to get them here in Canada.

Does Smoking Cause Pimples on Face?

Pimples typically develop when sebaceous glands or oil glands become clogged and infected, which results in swollen, red lesions that are filled with pus. They can be triggered due to hormonal changes and bacterial infections.

Since they are often related to hormonal changes, pimples would typically occur during puberty and around menstruation in women. Regardless, they can develop at any age. 

So, you don’t have to worry if you suddenly see some pimples on your face, back, chest, and shoulders, even if you are already an adult.

Now, the areas where pimples may sprout have a high concentration of sebaceous glands. But among these pimple sites, the face is the most exposed one. This is one of the reasons why skincare routines and the associated products often target the face.

After all, pimples may also be triggered due to bacterial infections. 

The growth of an undesirable bacteria known as Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) normally occurs in areas where sebum and dead skin cells accumulate and block skin pores. If the conditions are right, this particular bacteria reproduces at a very quick rate, feeding off the sebum and producing a substance that triggers an immune response. 

The said response leads to skin inflammation and spots.

Cigarettes, unfortunately, produce toxins that can disrupt the natural balance of the skin. When you puff a cigarette, the toxins increase the inflammation risk and subsequently clog the pores with excess oil and dead skin cells. Smoking cigarettes can likewise weaken the skin’s barrier, making your face vulnerable to bacterial infections that can lead to pimple breakouts.

Does Smoking Cause Back Acne?

Back acne, which is also called bacne, is a type of acne that develops on the back. It can manifest as blackheads, whiteheads, or red bumps, which can be irritating, painful, and unsightly.

The growth of back acne is often caused by sweat getting trapped beneath clothing during exercise or strenuous activities. The friction between the clothing and your sweaty skin can further magnify back acne development, leading to the formation of zits or making the existing ones worse.

But aside from trapped sweat, back acne may also develop due to poor hygiene. If someone’s hair is unclean, its oils may rub against their back, resulting in back acne development. Using dirty sheets, towels, or clothing may likewise lead to developing acne in the back.

Other potential causes of back acne include existing family history of acne, hormonal changes, medications, skin care products, and stress or anxiety. 

Since most back acne cases are caused by trapped sweat and hygiene issues, it would be safe to assume that smoking doesn’t cause back acne.

However, smoking can still cause bacne. Cigarettes, as discussed earlier, release chemicals into the air through the smoke. As these chemicals get into the skin on your back, they increase inflammation and trigger excessive oil production, which leads to clogged pores.

The nicotine you consume from cigarette smoke also affects your blood flow and oxygen supply to the skin, weakening its ability to heal. This also makes your back prone to breakouts. 

Treating back acne can be done through at-home treatments. If the pimples and other acne issues don’t work with over-the-counter products, you have to ask for prescription medications from your trusted dermatologists.

Prevention is another solution to make sure you won’t get too many breakouts from back acne. After you sweat, it’s recommended to change your clothes. You must also keep your skin clean, manage your stress levels, use noncomedogenic products, and wear loose-fitting, sweat-wicking shirts. Quitting smoking is another thing you can do to manage back acne breakouts.

Does Smoking Cause Cystic Acne?

Another type of acne that you should watch out for is cystic acne.

Cystic acne is a severe form of inflammatory acne. It causes painful, pus-filled pimples to form deep beneath the skin. This type of acne occurs when oil and dead skin cells clog your skin pores, while bacteria further contribute to inflammation or swelling.

Out of various types of acne, cystic acne is recognized as the most extreme.

You can check if you have acne cysts once you notice crusty or red lumps under the skin. They can also be painful or tender to touch. Some acne cysts can be as small as a pea, while others can be as big as a dime. They can likewise contain an oozing pus from a whitish-yellow head.

A cystic acne breakout typically occurs in various parts of the face, back, chest, neck, shoulders, butt, and upper arms.

Given how painful acne cysts are, you may be wondering if you can get them through smoking cigarettes. Just like other forms of acne, it’s possible to get cystic acne by cigarette smoking.

Keep in mind that cigarettes always produce nicotine whenever you smoke them. When you smoke cigarettes regularly, you tend to consume a huge amount of nicotine. This chemical can then cause your skin cells to divide faster, which leads to the narrowing of pores and the production of more dead skin cells. When combined with oil as well as bacteria, your skin will eventually develop acne cysts.

While there is no direct correlation between smoking cigarettes and the development of acne cysts, it’s vital that you take the necessary steps to avoid the formation of the said form of acne. They are, after all, painful and may require a long time to heal. Treating them can also be difficult.

Hence, you should decrease the number of cigarettes smoked in a day. If it’s possible, you can even quit smoking altogether to gain more health benefits. 

Does Smoking Cause Pimples?

Pimples occur when sebaceous glands become clogged and infected, often due to hormonal changes or bacterial infections. While they typically occur during puberty, pimples might still occur at any age. Therefore, you should not worry if you suddenly spot some pimples on your face, chest, shoulders, and back, especially if you are an adult already. 

As stated earlier, the sites where pimples grow often have a high concentration of sebaceous glands. These glands are microscopic glands that secrete sebum, an oily substance that prevents your skin from drying out. When the sebum is mixed with too many dead skin cells, the bacteria P. acnes grows.

After some time, this particular bacteria reproduces and grows at a very quick rate, producing a substance that triggers an immune response, leading to skin inflammation and spots. Pimples are one of the effects of this interaction.

But, how do dead skin cells build up and accumulate?

One way dead skin cells accumulate is through the destruction of skin cells or keratinocytes. When the nicotine receptors of the skin cells are activated, they tend to bind more tightly to their location until they die more often. The skin will then have difficulty removing them easily, leading to a build-up of dead skin cells and the development of acne.

Since smoking cigarettes produces nicotine, your chances of getting pimples can get high. The nicotine content of the cigarettes can activate the nicotine receptors of the skin cells, leading to the accumulation of dead skin cells that produce pimples.

Aside from affecting your skin health, nicotine is also known for affecting the testosterone levels of smokers. Explore how cigarettes affect your testosterone levels here.

Your sebum composition may also change when you smoke as cigarettes can reduce vitamin E and increase oxidative stress. Once the composition of the said oily substance changes, it will only cause the skin cells to divide faster, which clogs your skin pores and causes acne.

Do Cigarettes Make Acne Worse?

There are a lot of things that may happen whenever you smoke cigarettes to your skin.

Your skin cells or keratinocytes possess nicotine receptors, that upon activation through smoking cigarettes, induce the skin cells to bind more firmly to their location. They then undergo accelerated cell death until they become significantly more challenging for the skin to remove. Consequently, a buildup of dead skin cells occurs, which is one of the primary causes of acne formation.

Nicotine from cigarettes can then induce accelerated skin cell division, which leads to the narrowing of pores and increased production of dead skin cells compared to normal levels. 

Smoking cigarettes also alters the sebum composition by reducing vitamin E and elevating oxidative stress. Under normal circumstances, vitamin E helps in maintaining the balance of sebum oxidation. Once the squalene peroxide levels in sebum become elevated, it will only induce accelerated division of skin cells, which leads to the clogging of skin pores. This then causes acne development.

Nicotine and other constituents of cigarette smoke likewise constrict the minute blood vessels in the skin, diminishing proper blood flow. Subsequently, the skin receives reduced oxygen and nutrient delivery, allowing acne to develop and linger for a long time. 

The effects of smoking on one’s skin are undeniable and cannot be ignored. If you already have acne, smoking may only make it worse over time since its chemicals directly affect the mechanisms that regulate the overall condition of your skin cells and sebum production.

What Does Smokers Acne Look Like?

A new type of acne, which has been linked specifically to cigarette smoking, is currently known as atypical post-adolescent acne or APAA. Also called smoker’s acne, this form of non-inflammatory acne doesn’t cause warmth, redness, and swelling of inflammatory forms like nodular acne, cystic acne, and acne vulgaris or the most common form of acne. 

Instead, APAA produces small, non-inflamed skim bumps known as comedones. 

Comedones develop whenever sebum and dead skin cells block the sebaceous glands in the skin. To date, there are two types of comedones that occur with smoker’s acne.

1. Closed comedones: Closed comedones are also known as whiteheads. They occur when the blockage occurs below the skin surface, causing fresh-coloured or whitish bumps.
2. Open comedones: Open comedones, which can also be called blackheads, develop when the blockage is exposed to air. It then darkens due to oxidation. 

If you have a smoker’s acne, you may expect an outbreak of comedones, which often affect your chin, forehead, nose, and back, when you continue smoking cigarettes. You’ll then know if you have an outbreak if your skin manifests a rough, patchy texture. 

Before and After Smoking Acne

Recent research studies have discovered two factors that contribute to the development of smoker’s acne or APAA. 

One of the two factors is sebum peroxidation. This occurs when unstable molecules called free radicals attack the fatty acids in sebum, causing the oil to break down and become stickier and thicker. These new properties of the oil lead to blocked pores and the development of comedones.

Another factor contributing to the development of smoker’s acne is the decrease in vitamin E production. Vitamin E, a well-known antioxidant, prevents free radicals from causing sebum peroxidation. Since cigarette smoking depletes vitamin E levels in the blood, it only increases the risk of sebum peroxidation, leading to comedone formation.

Before you develop smoker’s acne, your skin may already show early signs like increased oiliness and dullness. Your pores around the nose, cheeks, and forehead may also become enlarged due to excess sebum production. Your skin may likewise look congested with whiteheads and blackheads. 

In some cases, you may notice the appearance of small red or flesh-coloured bumps. Your skin then may start to look ashy or uneven.

When you have smoker’s acne, your skin may be filled with blackheads and blackheads around the mouth, chin, and cheeks. Pimple breakouts may also become more persistent and difficult to treat since your skin’s healing ability has been compromised. 

After developing smoker’s acne, you may encounter challenges in treating your skin. Your skin may be filled with redness, dark spots, or even scars. Additionally, it may become rougher in texture and exhibit more prominent lines and enlarged pores. 

Does Smoking Cause Acne Scars?

Acne scars are markings left behind after acne breakouts clear up. They are often common among individuals who experience various types of acne formation, with 1 out of 5 of them getting acne scars on their faces, chests, or backs. 

Most of the time, the discolouration caused by pimples and other blemishes tends to fade away. However, many acne scars persist. The only way to reduce their overall visibility is to consult a dermatologist. They can provide valuable guidance on how to care for the scars and recommend appropriate treatments that can make them less noticeable.

Scars from acne can be somewhat of a hassle since they often take a long time before they become less visible. It can also ruin your self-esteem, especially if the acne scars are located in your face.

Since smoking cigarettes has been linked to acne, it’s reasonable to assume that it can also cause acne scars. However, it has been known that smoking cigarettes can also cause acne inversa.

It is an inflammatory skin condition wherein large pus-filled nodules show up and burst open, leaving visible scars that take a long time to treat. This particular condition is often common among middle-aged female smokers.

How to Get Rid of Smokers Acne?

Getting rid of and preventing smoker’s acne, as well as other forms of acne, can be done in many ways. Some of them include the following.

• Consult a dermatologist: If your smoker’s acne is severe or persistent, it would be best that you consult a dermatologist. They would often recommend your prescription treatments or even professional procedures to ensure improved results.
• Follow a strict skincare routine: You can get rid of excess oil, dirt, and toxins from your skin by using a gentle, non-comedogenic cleaner. You can then maximize a chemical exfoliant 2 to 3 times a week to unclog pores and remove dead skin cells. Lastly, you can take advantage of an oil-free, non-comedogenic moisturizer to keep your skin hydrated without clogging pores.
• Apply topical treatment: Consider purchasing over-the-counter acne treatments containing ingredients like retinoids or benzoyl peroxide. These treatments can help alleviate inflammation and expedite skin cell turnover. 
• Improve diet: To support your skin health, start incorporating a diet that’s rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. You can do this by adding fruits, vegetables, and omega-3 fatty acids to your meals. You can likewise decrease inflammation by reducing sugar and processed foods.
• Stay hydrated: Drinking plenty of water can flush toxins from your body. Doing so can also keep your skin hydrated, which can reduce breakouts and support healing.
• Stop smoking: Perhaps, the most effective way of getting rid of and preventing smoker’s acne is to quit tobacco smoking. After 4 to 12 weeks since you last lit up a cigarette, you can expect your skin colour to reverse, which means age spots and redness will be gone. Even your collaged production will be restored, leading to brighter and smoother skin. Ultimately, you significantly decrease your chance of developing a smoker’s acne.

Following these steps allows you to be free from smoker’s acne. Additionally, you can expect your overall health quality to improve since you are getting rid of cigarettes from your life.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do cigarettes cause acne?

Yes. Cigarettes can cause acne due to the smoke they produce. The chemicals they produce, especially nicotine, can increase inflammation and stimulate excess sebum production, leading to clogged pores and acne breakouts. They can also compromise your blood flow and oxygen supply to the skin, making acne more likely to develop and persist.

Will my acne clear up if I quit smoking?

Absolutely! When you quit smoking, your body begins to repair itself since the harmful chemicals from the cigarette smoke are gone. It then leads to better blood circulation, increased oxygen, and sustained nutrient supply to your skin. Just note that your acne will take several weeks before it clears up, which is why you have to be patient during the healing process.

Does smoking affect face skin?

Smoking negatively impacts the skin in several ways. The toxins released by cigarettes damage essential skin components, causing premature aging, wrinkles, and sagging. Additionally, smoking constricts blood vessels, resulting in a dull, uneven complexion and hindering the healing of wounds and acne. 

Does skin look better after quitting smoking?

After quitting smoking, expect your skin to look better. Every damaged component of your skin will start to heal and repair once you stop smoking cigarettes. Collagen and elastic production on your skin will recover, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles on your skin over time. You may also experience reduced inflammation, which leads to fewer breakouts and less redness.

Do cigarettes affect your face?

Yes. Cigarettes can affect your face as they can accelerate the aging process, which leads to early wrinkles around the mouth and eyes. These tobacco products also release chemicals that damage your collagen and elastin, causing your skin to lose firmness and elasticity. This results in sagging and fine lines. Cigarettes may likewise cause your complexion to become dull. 

Why does my face break out when I smoke?

Smoking causes your face to break out due to the nicotine and other chemicals found in cigarettes, which are known to affect your skin health. Smoking increases sebum production, triggering inflammation that leads to clogged pores and acne formation. Over time, your face may gradually develop pimples and acne flare-ups.

Will quitting smoking help my acne?

Yes. Quitting smoking can help with your acne problem over time. When you stop smoking cigarettes, your skin won’t be damaged by toxic chemicals anymore, enhancing your ability to heal and reducing inflammation. It can then lead to fewer acne breakouts and a clearer complexion.

Summary

Adults with serious inflammatory acne, especially those who smoke cigarettes, are at risk of damaging their skin health further if they continue to cling to these tobacco products. Cigarettes, after all, can cause acne due to the nicotine they contain.

Every time you smoke one, this particular chemical increases the production of sebum, which triggers inflammation that leads to clogged pores and acne formation. 

One of the best ways to prevent different types of acne from developing is to quit smoking, which can be done gradually with the help of nicotine replacement therapy tools, counselling, and other steps recommended by doctors.